ALTERNA
by Kamuel
Summary: The Starscourge. Now he knew how the infection felt like. Solheim was nothing like he once had imagined. Solheim felt like a living hell. Noctis found himself asking himself once again, as he sat there all huddled up and suffering, how the bloody hell was he still alive?
1. Chapter One - ADVENT

**ALTERNA**

 **Genre:** AU (canon divergence), slash/yaoi, fantasy, psychological/supernatural, romance  
 **Pairings:** Noctis/Ardyn, Prompto/Ignis

 **Summary:** The Starscourge. Now he knew how the infection truly felt like. Solheim was nothing like he once had imagined. Solheim felt like a living hell. The horrifying truth about their ancient history has turned all those memories he cherished and kept close to his heart into some kind of a grotesque, god forsaken nightmare. That's how Noctis found himself asking himself again, as he sat there all huddled up and suffering, _how the bloody hell was he still alive_?

 **Comment by author:** Hey dear readers,

long time no read ^o^/. How have you all been?

This story is for practicing my third person perspective writing. Until now, I only wrote in first person perspective before. I'm a little bit nervous about this story, ha. Please, leave a comment or a private message if there are many mistakes and errors of which I should be more careful of in the future chapters.

For the new readers of my works: English is my third language. I wish to improve my language and writing skills ^_^.

Have fun reading and let me know what you think! I'd appreciate it a lot :-*!

Kamuel

P.S.: I'm looking for a beta reader for this story T_T.

* * *

 **Chapter One - ADVENT  
**

...

The history of Eos was once marked by the prosperity of the civilization of Solheim. When this ancient civilization was at its peak, the betrayal of one of the six Astral gods, Ifrit, led to a conflict known as the Great War of Old. Most people were aware that this war was fueled further by the spreading of a mysterious parasite, causing the death of millions, and ultimately the fall of Solheim. But all young Noctis has ever known were fairy tale versions of that infamous part of their ancient history. Indeed, discovering all these wonderful tales of old as time as a child had been thrilling and fun. His father (blessed be his never ending patience) used to enjoy spending his precious free time telling him countless, interesting tales. And Luna... he remembered sweet Luna reading to him the entire Cosmogony myths at every given opportunity. Back in Altissia, she almost never left his side, always smiling fondly whenever he indulged in eating his favorite Tenebraen pastry while they talked endlessly about their most memorable stories. At that time Noctis learned of so many exciting adventures, full of kings and mystery and magic. Simply put, the legends of Solheim never ceased to amaze him.

But Noctis should have known better. As people usually liked to say, the devil was in the details. Solheim was nothing like he once had imagined. Solheim felt like a living hell. The horrifying truth about their ancient history has turned all those memories he cherished and kept close to his heart into some kind of grotesque, god forsaken nightmare. For one, it didn't help that there was that specific, familiar kind of stench in the air. He knew that smell; imminent death had somehow found him, ensnared and captured his soul.

A non-stopping, corroding hunger was clawing away at his insides. Several times he had to squeeze his eyes shut tight, making sure he kept himself from retching. Blinding pain slithered through each part of his body. His mind was in a haze and it became so damn hard to think. All he could feel was the unforgiving, bubbling illness as it marched forward and seeped into the marrow of his tattered bones. He could feel it relentlessly leeching out his life and knocking on his mortal door with every second that passed.

The Starscourge. Now he knew how the infection truly felt like.

That's how Noctis found himself asking himself again, as he sat there all huddled up and suffering, _how the bloody hell was he still alive_? Of all places to be, how in Eos' name did he end up in one of Solheim's most dangerous and highest guarded prisons? Noctis retreated further back, his shoulder bumping into a damp and filthy corner as he dared taking another searching look around him. Yes, he would recognize these prison cells anywhere. Only horrible things have happened between these sterile, metallic walls. Not only had Ignis done a good job teaching him all kinds of stuff about history, ten years ago Noctis had been privileged to see these exact same structures with his very own eyes. His weak body shuddered as he recalled those times, when he had been lost in Niflheim, all alone. That unforgettable rescuing mission at Zegnautus Keep. The gruesome things he had found there... He thought of Prompto and of how those horrid experiments and unforgivable sins were made against the free will of all people of Eos. At that time, Noctis thought that only the Empire of Niflheim had been capable of such horrors.

Now the harsh truth stared Noctis in the face. The Empire of Solheim was the first to dabble in these atrocious deeds against humanity. As he took a look around his surroundings, Noctis understood now that someone must have found him lying unconscious outside, before they brought him in. To do... what? The Astral deity Bahamut had promised to keep his own end of bargain. Excruciating pain like this shouldn't exist in the afterlife, of that much Noctis knew. Noctis was promised eternal liberty in exchange for his sacrifice. Yet here he was, all by himself and _conscious_ in the mortal realm once more, with no recollection of how he got here in the first place.

Noctis couldn't help but feel betrayed. Hadn't he done his part? Didn't he and his people sacrifice enough already?

A sickly sounding cough next to him brought Noctis' thirty year old self back to the present. He squinted his eyes in a futile attempt to make out the fatal wounds of a younger man, who was chained to his feet and who was struggling to sit up. The man gave up and was leaning against the wall, hugging himself, his whole body shaking as he silently cried in agony. Right then, Noctis felt a fierce compassion for this man and it warmed his heart immensely. It gave him inner strength. He admired this man for holding on and for being so brave. Noctis could hear others around their cell having long since succumbed to the devouring darkness, some still alive. People there were whining, screaming and shouting gibberish. Their voices sounded all wrong to his ears — unnatural, not human. Their painful grunts reminded him so much of his last visit in Insomnia. They made him feel helpless and extremely uncomfortable. Others in their cells, however, went completely silent - a sure sign of their tragic demise.

It was obvious there wasn't much time left until the illness overtook Noctis' body and mind. He knew he needed to hurry the hell up and do everything in his power to get himself out of this hellhole. He could do this. And then he would be going back home. To him, it didn't matter where home was, as long as it would be a place free from pain and free of suffering. And then, he would _fucking_ _stay there_. He so badly wished to see his beloved Luna again. He missed his parents so badly... After all the crap the Crystal had forced Noctis to go through, he deserved to find at least a little peace, didn't he?

"Hey, can you hear me?" Noctis shook the young man next to him gently on his wet and clammy shoulder to get his attention.

The stranger looked up at him, bleary-eyed from pain. "Help me... I don't want to die... please," he whispered, coughing up a small stream of black blood.

Noctis was startled by that man's close resemblance to his childhood friend Prompto, but then he shook his head firmly. He needed to stay focused on his intention to escape, he could ask questions later. "Listen, I'll get us out of here. Hold on to me as tight as you can and don't let go, no matter what happens."

The man looked unsure, but then decided to trust Noctis and he nodded his head to affirm he understood. Hopelessness and relief stood in stark contrast to the tear covered face. Once Noctis felt the tightening hold of the stranger's hands on his body, he closed his eyes and summoned all of his remaining energy. He tried to ignore the immense pain wracking his limbs and prayed earnestly, probably for the first time in his life, for a miracle to happen. He prayed for the accursed magical abilities his ancestors once endowed him with to somehow still work. Despite his reservations, they were his only solution. Quite frankly, with the royal ring forever destroyed and all of the power from the Crystal of Lucis depleted, Noctis wasn't exactly convinced that his magic abilities would ever make a comeback. He had to try. All he knew was that dying like this was not an option.

After several long moments of waiting for something to happen, he almost lost faith. But then, the air around him crackled. The eyes behind his closed lids burned hot. His skin tingled and his fingertips twitched with an all too familiar charge of power. The man holding onto him trembled and Noctis opened his eyes to check on him. "Have no fear," he soothingly whispered to his prison companion.

And then there, finally, a tiny little spark of magic appeared out of thin air, floating merrily in front of his eyes. The glowing, translucent and wispy rainbow-colored texture made Noctis holding his breath and feeling all giddy inside. He couldn't believe that his powers had answered to his prayers. More and more shards of magic appeared around them, until one final, electrifying burst of high vibratory energy gave birth to his royal weapons. His legacy had come back into the physical realm once more. Noctis had never been able to get used to that ecstatic feeling as he watched the ancient artifacts circle in an ongoing, protective dance around him. Their force reverberated through the entire prison cell and they glowed just as beautifully and awe inspiring as ever.

"W... what's happening?"

Noctis felt tears shimmering in his own eyes as he gave a soft smile to the younger man, who in turn stared at the Phantom swords with an open mouth. "This is our ticket to get us out." Noctis said softly.

His comrade seemed speechless. Deep gratefulness and stark hope shone from the man's light blue eyes and Noctis felt immensely touched by those emotions. Noctis' red glowing eyes burned with unshed tears as he took one final look at all those people who had died under such horrific conditions. His shaking arms embraced his comrade carefully and then he willed his power to detect and focus on a warp point far outside of these walls. It took only an instant for his warp ability to take over his body and Noctis got goose bumps as the amassed energy phased both of them out from physical reality.

They reappeared at the estimated location outside in the woods. Noctis had not much energy left to check if the man had also reached the grounds safely. He only knew they both were free from the shackles of Solheim's facility. Only then, Noctis allowed himself to get pulled into the irresistible oblivion his exhausted mortal body so badly craved...

 **...**

Strange sounds woke Noctis up from his restless slumber. He blinked a few times into the semi-darkness in order to adjust his eyesight and then rubbed his tired face with one hand while pushing his upper body up with the other. He immediately regretted the movement and instantly gave up when dizziness made itself felt. Instead, he found it much safer to leave his head lying exactly in the same position where it had been before: on the soft, fluffy blanket underneath.

"... and what do you suggest we do now, your Highness?" a young, male voice whispered.

Noctis recognized the source of the male voice and relaxed a little.

"Oh my, it's evident you two can't spend the night here. Let's see..." spoke another man softly.

Noctis strained his ears to follow the conversation. Did his comrade know this stranger?

The newcomer resumed talking, his voice gentle, "The war is still ongoing and never ending. Solheim's soldiers must have crossed Tenebrae's border as we speak. I fear, they are heading this way to check on their subjects and to see if there are any survivors left. How did you two escape the research facility?"

A short period of silence followed.

"You don't want to tell me? No matter, you two are free now. I might know of a place where you would be able to safely hide away for a while. I can bring you there, it's not far from here."

While Noctis listened, he held his hands up to his face, so he could observe them more closely. And then he remembered. The bonfire illuminated his skin from the side and he stared bewildered at all the places where his open wounds should have been. No more injuries and no more severe pain. He could breathe freely again. What gives? The iron chains on his wrists have disappeared along with the terrible cuts that were infected by the old rust. He also took notice of the complete absence of the Starscourge in his body. The feeling of sickness in his stomach seemed to have receded also, leaving only a slight feeling of weakness in its wake. That fact alone was shocking. As far as he knew only an Oracle would be able to cleanse the spreading darkness by absorbing the illness entirely into herself. So... who was the one who cured him of his ailment?

He had a hunch who that person could be, so Noctis tried again to get up from his makeshift bed on the ground in order to catch a glimpse of the Crystals first elected Oracle. But the dizziness came back with full force and he groaned pitifully.

"Careful there," the newcomer said, rushing with hurried steps to Noctis' side. "Stay calm. It takes a few minutes more before your body adjusts to the potency of my healing energy. You're safe, at least for now."

"Thank you," Noctis breathed out, waiting for the dizziness to disappear. His eager eyes searched the space behind the man for the woman he was sure to meet there: Gentiana.

A slight chuckle escaped the stranger and he leaned down to catch his patient's eyes. He placed a soft and warm palm over Noctis' forehead. "You must not be from around here. Else you would know who I am. Unless, my healing abilities have muddled up your memories. How unfortunate. Such an invaluable treasure like yours, all wasted."

The instant the men's eyes were locked, Noctis legs gave a jolt out of sheer surprise and horror. "You!? That's impossible!"

"Aah! So he remembers. What a pity, I would have loved to tease you a little while longer," the handsome man smiled brightly and patted his knee in a playful manner. "Tell me, young lad, how do you feel?"

"Ardyn!" Noctis all of a sudden forgot himself and lunged at his nemesis, his shaking fists taking a hold of his ancestor's long robe. "What the hell have you done?"

Slightly alarmed but not feeling threatened, Ardyn cocked his head to the side and replied calmly, "What do you mean? Is something the matter?"

"Stop playing your games with me! I'm sick of it. I'm so sick of it all! To think I felt relief and a smidgen of compassion toward you by the end! Why the hell are we back at this again?" Noctis shouted, his repressed anger and frustration quickly growing into innumerable proportions. This surely must have been all Ardyn's fault!

Noctis' prison companion crouched closer to his own hiding spot, staring at both men in fright. "What are you doing? Be quiet, please, else our position will get exposed..." he hissed fearfully.

Harsh, warm breaths puffed against Ardyn's puzzled face. When no answer came, Noctis leaned further inside the older man's personal space. "Let me go home. Now."

Ardyn took a small step back. He narrowed his eyes, still trying to piece together this delightful yet unknown puzzle before him. The flickering flames of the campfire reflected their warm light back into intelligent hazel eyes. Ardyn's brilliant mind worked furiously. Noctis shuddered at the contact when Ardyn's hands grasped and pushed his own gently but firmly aside. His nemesis' eyes never once left his face and a powerful aura emanated from him as he stood upright.

Increasing the distance between them with another step, Ardyn asked calmly, "Do we know each other?"

Noctis sent him an incredulous look. Why was Ardyn insisting on playing ignorant? Had he lost his memories? Before Noctis could react, the first crackling sparks of Ardyn's power, and therefore a definite proof of his Lucis Caelum royal blood line, reached forward and unwittingly coaxed Noctis' own powers out to reveal themselves.

Intrigued and a bit frightened by the similar shards of magic dancing around the both of them, Ardyn took another tentative step backwards. "What's your name?"

"Noc-" Noctis stopped himself at the last second from revealing his full name. He forced himself to calm down. Ardyn didn't attack him, yet. Only now that Noctis had the full attention of his former enemy did he notice the differences on Ardyn's demeanor and face. He looked younger. Much healthier. Ardyn's eyes were... dare he say it, kinder, and much more vibrant with life as before. The dark lines of fatigue on his face were gone and the bags under his golden eyes were not as pronounced as Noctis could remember. Not to mention, the strange discrepancy between the colors of the magic shards of now to the ones Ardyn emanated in their final battle. Instead of the usual glowing red shades, Ardyn's royal powers sparkled in the same translucent way as his own magic did. What sorcery was this?

Was Noctis in danger of losing his mind?

Was this some sick joke he wasn't fully aware of? A holographic illusion, perhaps? Was this some lunatic, twisted version of reality inverted by Ardyn, meant solely for the man's own perverted enjoyment? If not, did they both travel into the far past? A bad dream? Parallel timeline? What the hell was happening here?

Noctis felt a huge headache incoming, so he took a deep breath of fresh air while he pondered. Knowing that Ardyn's patience must be running low, Noctis carefully examined the situation, hiding the shards of his magic away from Ardyn's wide-eyed stare. He thought to himself, maybe he could play the same game and then wait to see what happens.

"It's Noctis," he said boldly, clearing his throat. He hated lying. "Noctis Amicitia."

Ardyn's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he scoffed aloud, voice laced with humor. "Surely you jest. Sarus Amicitia is my royal Shield. I'm aware of the entire Amicitia blood line and I've never heard of you before, nor are there any similarities in your appearances. Why don't we try again?"

Noctis' eyes widened a fraction. Well, crap, there went his chance to fool his enemy. He was such a bad liar. "Right. Tell me yours first."

"Prince Ardyn Lucis Caelum, of course. The one and only."

Even if he sounded a bit offended, there was no hesitation in Ardyn's answer. Neither did he call himself Izunia. What should Noctis make of these little pieces of information? Could this Ardyn be a version of his far past, after all? If yes, then he had nothing to worry about, right? Ardyn hadn't been betrayed yet by his younger brother Somnus. Dare he hope that Ardyn would become an ally to his cause? Hell, Noctis so _badly_ wanted to understand their situation, his headache increasing steadily by the seconds.

Having apparently enough of this charade, Ardyn summoned a sword into his right hand in form of a warning. "Tell me your true name this instant or this will be our last conversation. It would sadden me greatly to leave you and your dear friend at the mercy of Solheim's mindless and bloodthirsty men. There are certainly more _pleasurable_ ways of dying, don't you think?"

"Please, Your Highness, you can't just—"

"Oh hush. I assure you, I certainly can." Ardyn held his free hand up to silence the blonde man, his sharp eyes staying solely on Noctis' shifting movements.

The tension between the three men grew as the silence continued.

"Fine," Noctis finally said, hissing out a defeated sigh. "I have nothing to lose anyway. My true name is Noctis Scientia." He finished his line with an air of finality.

There. He dared sticking to a lie again. Noctis only hoped Ignis would forgive him one day.

Both men of Lucian blood intensified their competing stares. Their aura of power increased and pushed ever so slightly against another. One could cut the tension in half with a knife.

The youngest man present decided he had enough. Noctis _— whatever his final name was_ _—_ and himself needed to leave this place right now. He could feel it in his bones that danger was approaching. There should be something that he could do to keep the two men in front of him from getting at each other's throats.

"Uhm, just in case you two might have wondered," the youngest amongst the men said, effectively breaking the stifling silence between them. He shuffled his feet back and forth in the muddy grass below as if ready to escape their wrath. "Everyone calls me Quicksilver. To be honest, I've never known my true name, so... let's be friends?" He asked sheepishly, holding his hands up in mock surrender. Prince or not, trustworthy guy or not, Quicksilver thought they honestly didn't have time for any more of that _reveal your true name_ shit. Who cared anyway? It wasn't important, people changed their names all the time.

Noctis and Ardyn spared Quicksilver one small glance, but then all of a sudden Ardyn's stance froze. "They are here," he whispered alarmed, looking behind him and summoning a second sword inside of his free hand.

Quicksilver groaned in dismay, staring at Noctis. "See? I told you! What are we still doing here? Let's run!"

Dozens of soldiers and ancient machines appeared from the shadow of the trees, surrounding all three men from each side and leaving no escape route open as they aimed their impressive magitek weapons toward their prey.

"Too late for that," said Noctis, exhaling loudly in emotional preparation for the upcoming battle. Etheric energy began gathering inside his body, vibrating the area around him and pulsing steadily beneath his feet — a sure sign of the impending appearance of his Armiger Unleashed ability.

Noctis felt Ardyn's sharp eyes following him as he took his first step facing the new enemy, standing protectively in front of Quicksilver. He twisted his mouth slightly. He had no other choice but to reveal his full powers, hence revealing the truth about his royal bloodline to Ardyn. He didn't like that one bit.

What a mess. Noctis still didn't understand what in the world he was doing here. He still didn't understand his purpose. The only thing he was sure of was that staying alive was his prime directive. He wouldn't let _anyone_ take any more precious lives. Not if he could prevent that. So he took another deep breath, focusing on rising and refining his life energy into more potent magic. And then, with a blast full of light, his awakened Armiger combat skills fully unleashed.

Ardyn, who was currently busy catching his own breath audibly in the background, made Noctis smile a little.

So that's it. The truth was out there. No more games.

 **...**

to be continued...


	2. Chapter Two - The unforseen mystery

Hey dears,

I think, now that I've finished Ardyn's point of view of the events from the first chapter, I know in which direction I want the plot to go, yep. Still not sure of all the details, but I have now more characters and plot twists in place for the next few chapters (yey!).

From all the stories I've written (and I wrote many of which I deleted several last year), I think this second chapter took me the longest to write. The pain was real, lol. I've spent many hours researching Solheims and Ardyn's background and spent even more hours with editing this chapter so my garbled English sentences wouldn't put off your reading experience. I'm holding my fingers crossed that you might enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it :D.

I'll try to update regularly, every three to five days (depends on my real life circumstances). I'll let you all know beforehand in case I wouldn't be able to update in time.

Thanks for reading!  
Let's go!

Kamuel

* * *

 **Chapter Two - The unforeseen mystery  
**

There were a multitude of things in this world Ardyn wished to change. Endless suffering greeted him around every corner these days. So far, his people back home were forced to live under horrendous circumstances. Ever since that dreadful Meteor arrived on Eos and caught their world in a web of chaos and turmoil, he has barely encountered children on the streets smiling in a carefree manner anymore. Over the past thirteen years, during his official sanative pilgrimage, Ardyn has seen unimaginable tragedy and loss ruining the lives of thousands upon thousands of souls. A mysterious, otherworldly plague without remedy became widespread. And for some inexplicable reason, Ardyn had been chosen by the Crystal and given the means of reversing the devastating effects.

 _The Starscourge_ – The Six called it. It was the Infernian, who, in the beginning of it all, gave the accursed pandemic that name.

Ardyn despised the name. He _loathed_ the plague and everything that came with it with a passion yet unsurpassed. Fools of the Solheim Empire began tinkering with the Meteor's side effects, spreading the Starscourge further beyond their land by waging a meaningless war of prestige and power. Ardyn abhorred all those ignorant, blind and deaf cowards today more so than ever, for they refused to see and listen to the world's most pressing issues. The adept and the initiated were aware of the unmistakable cry for help by Eos. Their most precious, life-giving Goddess was _dying_ and nobody in the land of the Sun seemed to care. Instead of pledging their trust into The Six to fix their disastrous mistakes, the arrogant leaders of the Sun Empire have turned their back on the Infernian by blaming the only benign Astral for their own, self-induced stupidity.

Thus, Ardyn resolved taking matters into his own hands. He vowed to bring an end to this madness once and for all. Mingling and living among the people of Solheim, and then meeting the Infernian himself, eye to eye, had been an absolute eye-opening experience. A revelation of a special kind. Ifrit, the God of Fire, utterly _adored_ humanity, in the same way as Ardyn himself adored his people back at home in Insomnia. This is how they both found a common ground to place their bargain upon. Ifrit promised to persuade his fellow Astral Gods into guiding humanity back to a state of equilibrium. And in turn, Ardyn promised to assist purifying Eos by imprisoning the Starscourge fully into himself. Soon, after having sealed their soul contract, Ardyn put the human-loving Astral's well laid plans into motion: purging each and every victim afflicted with the scourge whom he would meet during his travels, and additionally, hunting down the fools responsible for the tragic moral and physical decay their world was currently facing.

Then, one day, by a fortunate coincidence, Ardyn stumbled upon one of Solheim's biggest, undisclosed projects: the existence of secret underground magitek research facilities. This well kept secret had opened a can full of worms onto the healer's world. Thousands of questions appeared out of nowhere and preyed upon Ardyn's astute mind for months thereafter without having a gleam of hope of ever getting some satisfying answers. As Ardyn later discovered, the abandoned magitek facility he came upon by chance had been only one project of _many_. And the information he had gleaned therein had been, mildly put, alarming and so barbaric that afterward he'd been violently sick for days.

The leaders of Solheim have gone and done the unthinkable. Forbidden experimentation on human genome taken to the extreme. Apparently, their dubious machinations no longer were focused on magiteknology only. No, something much more sinister was going on. The content of the documents Ardyn so hastily perused with shaky fingers, spoke of a multitude of ambitious plans, each bidding their time for potential implementation.

One among those plans involved the splitting and combining of human DNA with the daemon DNA and then testing the various end results via perpetrated abductions done by the infantry upon innocent people. Ideally, the survivor's DNA would become completely enhanced with specific activated daemon traits for future combat purposes. These altered specimen would join the holy ranks of the Sun Empire as the first _daehumans_. The advent of the invincible, immortal man, who would be loyal and capable of making his own decisions on the battlefield and therefore, increasing their chances of complete dominion over the will of Goddess Eos and of The Six. Solheim apparently realized that they relied too much on the lifeless troopers powered by magitek cores. Those imperial assets functioned by extracting the miasma of plasmodium parasite from dying daemons and that turned out to be an unstable future investment. Basically, the puppets could potentially turn against their masters at any time.

Solheim's unbelievably astonishing volume of research data on this topic told Ardyn that these people weren't just mere fools. No, they all have gone _insane_. They knew exactly what they were doing. These power-hungry, idiotic people have done experiments hidden underground like this for _ages_ and no other nation on the surface of Eos ever got wind of it! That was unacceptable!

And that seemed to be only the beginning. There were a few other documents hinting at Solheim's next steps, involving an attempt in revolutionizing the future of humankind. By fusing the powerful daehuman's DNA with the pure genome of otherworldly beings similar to the Astrals in rank and power, Solheim's people would achieve a so called _ascension_. Ardyn did a bit of research into that term but couldn't find any information about that - another apparent potentially disastrous veil yet to be uncovered. Whatever the term ascension might entail, Ardyn knew he had to stop it from being implemented.

Ardyn hadn't been able to rest well at night ever since he learned about the Empire's mad intentions. One by one, he focused on perusing and destroying the underground facilities, hoping the secrets being unveiled in the process would enable him to fulfill his vow to the Infernian one day. Only death and rotting corpses greeted his sight when he set foot inside the following abandoned underground buildings and Ardyn hastened his research, browsing through every nook and cranny, determined to learn more about the planned _daehuman_ and _ascension_ experiments. But once again, there were no other important documents to be found and therefore no additional information to be gained.

By the time he finalized his calculations in locating the next hidden research facility, it dawned upon him that he couldn't reach his goals all alone. An year had already gone by and he hadn't come even close to the feats he would need to achieve to appease the Infernian's contract. On his own, he would probably need another decade or possibly more if he wanted to find all the answers he so urgently sought after. Something inside told him time was getting short. But in whom to confide his sacred mission? He wouldn't even trust his own, younger brother, Somnus, with such volatile information. The brat has been seething with jealousy ever since the Crystal chose Ardyn to do its bidding. And Sarus, his Shield and only person in this world he could ever trust with his own life, was told to hold his position back home in Insomnia to cover up Ardyn's selfish pursuits in case someone were to question them.

No, Ardyn had to find other ways to fix all his problems... but how?

It so chanced that, by sheer luck, Ardyn would stumble upon another piece of the veil he so desperately tried to uncover: two young men, lying on the ground unconscious and all alone in the middle of the woods of Gralea. They were evidently affected by the scourge in its later stages. Ardyn urged his black Chocobo to get a bit closer toward their bodies and at closer inspection, he recognized the insignia of Solheim's secret pet project embroidered upon their identical looking, thin and filthy clothes - identifying the men as former test subjects. Project _daehuman_. That could only mean one thing: the research facility he was looking for had to be close by.

"Most curious," Ardyn whispered to himself, jumping down from his loyal Chocobo to give immediate aid in case these men were still alive.

Checking their pulse rate, he noted that the young men were indeed still breathing. Ardyn was beyond himself with excitement. This would be the first time he actually met any of the survivors! The possibility of receiving a few notable answers was within his immediate reach. One question in particular stood out the most from the others: how did they manage to escape?

He knelt next to his first patient and quickly placed his palms over the man's chest, releasing the Crystal's healing ability into the unconscious body below and simultaneously absorbing the scourge into himself. Golden strands of cleansing magic formed themselves into sacred geometric patterns, luminous and vivid as they reached inside the patient's heart to purge. Nothing arduous. A routine, which he knew by heart. As this procedure would take a minute or so to take full effect, he seized the moment and took a closer look at the face of the test subject. At first glance, he seemed to be a few years younger than the other. Blonde, slightly long and curly hair but no facial hair. Handsome, unblemished skin as far as Ardyn could see, which was a rare trait considering the current state of the world. He would need to keep an eye on this one.

Once he separated the scourge from its host, Ardyn shook his head a few times to clear his mind. That got rid of the daemon's screams and then he proceeded to mentally lock them into his subconscious mind. Again, for him this was only a routine. Nothing extraordinary. And yet, lately... he couldn't help but worry. As the amount of scourge inside of him arose, the daemon's voices got louder each night and their anger grew more viscous in his dreams. Maybe the Starscourge got stronger with each passing day? If this were true, then he definitely needed to step up his goals and accomplish his purpose on time. He added another unsolved problem to his never ending list.

Next, Ardyn knelt down to the second patient, ready to repeat the same procedure. But that's when the most remarkable thing happened. The first touch upon the man's chest electrified Ardyn to the core, instantly repelling his healing magic and knocking the breath out of him.

"Interesting..." he murmured, left completely gobsmacked. He looked down at his hands, which, after having touched that man's heart area, were shaking and pleasantly tingling. Something like this never happened to him before.

Anxious of trying again, this time he leaned down and softly touched the man's forehead with his own. Ardyn focused all his will and intent on feelings of compassion and unconditional love and allowed the Crystal's healing power to flow as gently as possible into his patient's heart. Two unusual things happened after that. The first one: Ardyn felt an instant, fierce connection to that stranger and he was astounded to find himself getting sexually aroused. The second one: the feelings of ecstasy and excitement got quickly out of hand and Ardyn knew he had to let go of that man, else the situation would be in danger of escalating, even going as far as embarrassing Ardyn beyond salvation.

Heart diving and gasping for breath, Ardyn slid a few feet away from his patient and could immediately feel how the connection faded. There was a sudden emptiness inside of him, one he never knew existed in the first place.

How unexpected...

With trembling hands, he took his hat off and ruffled his long, curly red-violet hair a few times. He felt his cheeks heating when his amber eyes refused to look away from the lean man in front of him. Dark, longish hair and skin as pale as snow, barely visible underneath all the dirt, and even with the unkempt facial hair Ardyn could tell this man was _immensely_ attractive. Ardyn swallowed wetly, not understanding the connection that occurred between them. He has met and treated thousands of people over the years. Why was his body behaving like that? What was different this time?

Ardyn swallowed again, first rubbing over his red face and then placing his chin on one hand to ponder. He was furious at himself for reacting in such an outrageous manner while working on a patient. For a healer of his caliber unheard of. Completely unethical and indecent. Maybe he only had to allow his body to unwind for a bit. Eos only knew, he hadn't allowed himself the pleasures of sexual intercourse for years - that's how busy and exhausted he's been with his purpose. Certainly, the reaction of his touch starved body was nothing to be ashamed of, but this was neither the time nor the place for thoughts of that particular naughty nature.

Adding yet another unresolved problem to his ongoing, never ending list, Ardyn placed his hat back on his head and took a few relaxing breaths. He had to get his act together. Once he calmed himself, he stood up to collect some wood for a bonfire. His patients needed to be surrounded by warmth for the healing magic to have the best results.

After setting up the campfire, it didn't take that long for his first patient to wake up.

"Where... where am I?" the blonde asked weakly.

Ardyn gave the younger man a soft smile. "Shh, relax, the scourge inside of you is now gone."

The blue-eyed man stared at him and only after a while did he recognize Ardyn. "You are... your Highness! Forgive me! How? When...?"

"You're quite lucky I was passing by, otherwise you and your friend here would have perished," Ardyn said, trying not to appear too curious while warming his hands over the fire.

"These woods... I mean, are we in Gralea still? What day is it?"

The healer furrowed his brows in thought. For how long have these poor souls been captive? Months? Years? "It's Sunday, April the seventh, thirteen years after the arrival of the Meteor of Six. And yes, this is the Empire's territory," he replied in a gentle tone.

"Titan's balls... I was longer away than I thought," the young man said, checking on his tattered clothes with a completely devastated look on his handsome face.

Ardyn made his way to his loyal Chocobo, taking two blankets out of the luggage. When he returned, he stood next to the blonde man, holding out one soft blanket and saying, "Take this and cover yourself with it. Your clothes are damp and too thin, the ground freezing at night. You need warmth to fully heal."

"T-thank you, your Highness..."

Ardyn acknowledged the young man with a slight nod of his head and then went to face the other patient, stepping toward the unconscious body timidly. One of his feet froze halfway through the next step in midair and hovered above ground. He hesitated. Ardyn _never_ hesitated. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this. His emotions ran rampant, his heart madly racing. His body still remembered the brief, intense connection to that man and it tingled pleasurably. _Oh for the love of Eos!_ He should quit being so dramatic and admit to himself that yes, he was indeed feeling a bizarre amount of attraction toward that dark haired man. But where did _that_ leave him? By the Six, he didn't even know the man. He hadn't even seen the color of his eyes yet, for Goddess sake. This evening turned out to be, by far, one of his strangest experiences. Ardyn scoffed at himself. He knew his demeanor was questionable at best and this _had_ to stop. So he braced himself and walked over to the unconscious man. After a bit of effort, he managed to place the soft blanket underneath the sleeping man with gentle movements. As a result, his hands began trembling once again.

Distancing himself from the temptation of caressing the stranger's cheek, Ardyn stood up and walked back to the camp fire, glancing one last time over his shoulder at the object of his affection as he sat down next to the blonde man.

"... and what do you suggest we do now, your Highness?"

Ardyn looked at the young man and patted his back in a friendly gesture. "Oh my, it's evident you two can't spend the night here. Let's see," he said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "The war is still ongoing and never ending. Solheim's soldiers must have crossed Tenebrae's border as we speak. I fear, they are heading this way to check on their subjects and to see if there are any survivors left. How did you two escape the research facility?"

The handsomely blonde looked uncomfortable, avoiding his eyes.

"You don't want to tell me? No matter, you two are free now. I might know of a place where you can safely hide away for a while. I can bring you there, it's not far from here," Ardyn said soothingly.

And then, the dreaded moment came when the object of his affection woke up. Ardyn saw the dark-haired man struggling to sit up and immediately rushed over to halt his motions.

"Careful there. Stay calm. It takes a few minutes more before your body adjusts to the potency of my healing energy. You're safe, at least for now," Ardyn said, trying to ignore the heavy pounding in his chest. That man's eyes were, just as he had feared and anticipated, ridiculously beautiful.

"Thank you," the younger, dark-haired man breathed out.

Even the tone of his voice sounded like hot, sizzling honey. Ardyn felt absolutely floored by the man's charming presence. To cover up his unusual reaction, he chuckled slightly and placed his palm over the man's forehead. Ardyn was curious if the wondrous, delightful angel before him would feel the same connection as he did half an hour ago. When the man showed no visible reaction to his touch, he retracted his hand and felt slightly disappointed.

"You must not be from around here. Else you would know who I am. Unless, my healing abilities have muddled up your memories. How unfortunate. Such an invaluable treasure like yours, all wasted," Ardyn said, _flirting_. He decided then and there that something must be terribly wrong with his head.

The instant their eyes were locked, the stranger stared at him with surprise and horror written all over his face.

"You!? That's impossible!"

Suffice to say, Ardyn had been surprised by the amount of rage this gorgeous man in front of him possessed. The object of his affection apparently accused him of some form of treason, as if Ardyn had been the one responsible for this man's previous scourge infection and captivity. Why would he think of Ardyn like that?

But then, Ardyn saw a glimpse of something intriguing, drawing his attention away for a moment. _Shards of potent magic_ – floating around this fascinating stranger, of all people. Those shards of funneled life energy were an indicator of abilities _only_ Ardyn's family members possessed.

Ardyn had to know this man's name and origin. _Now_.

"It's Noctis," the flustered, young man said boldly, clearing his throat. "Noctis Amicitia."

Ardyn scoffed outloud, feeling slightly amused by Noctis' failed attempt at outright lying. "Surely you jest. Sarus Amicitia is my royal Shield. I'm aware of the entire Amicitia blood line and I've never heard of you before, nor are there any similarities in your appearances. Why don't we try again?"

It was obvious the young man kept secrets. Ardyn wasn't fooled. He had his first indication, after all: the young man knew the Amicitia family. Ardyn needed to know more. If, by any chance, this man's identity correlated with Ardyn's suspicion, then Ardyn _needed_ to forge an alliance with him. The stakes were too high already to just let this rare opportunity slip through his fingers. So he asked again, summoning one of his swords as a sign of warning. Of course, he never would hurt his object of affection. He merely seemed in need of a little... persuasion.

"Fine," the stranger finally said, sounding defeated to his ears.

Ardyn held his breath in anticipation.

"I have nothing to lose anyway. My true name is Noctis Scientia," the dark haired beauty said.

Ardyn narrowed his eyes, refusing to openly roll them in exasperation. Again, Noctis wasn't entirely truthful with him. The last name must be a ruse. But no matter, this was all the confirmation Ardyn needed. Noctis' second attempt to hide his true identity could only mean he's of royal ancestry. No doubt about that.

While Ardyn attempted piecing the final puzzles together, he felt the Empire's infantry troopers presence hiding in the dark wilderness not far from their position.

"They are here," Ardyn whispered alarmed, looking behind him and summoning a second sword inside of his free hand. How far had his mind strayed? How could he have been so careless?

Quicksilver - as the handsomely blonde called himself - suggested to run away. Ardyn would have agreed with him if only Solheim's troopers hadn't already ambushed and surrounded them from each side. He tried to make out their numbers. Ardyn stared wide-eyed at the enemy. Of course, they were totally outnumbered. How had it been possible for an entire army to appear out of thin air, completely undetected? Ardyn didn't think he'd been _that_ far out of touch with his empathic abilities tonight. No. There had to be another reason for the sudden stealth arrival.

Hopefully, Noctis' proficiency in combat would be at least decent. Ardyn wasn't sure he could heal, protect and fight – all at the same time.

"Too late for that," said Noctis in response to Quicksilver's remark, which brought Ardyn's attention back to him.

That's when Ardyn felt the entire area around them reverberating with a power beyond the capabilities of his understanding. His sharp eyes followed Noctis' every move. Ardyn's heart rate increased and his hair stood up on his skin, granting him major goose bumps all over his body. A wind came up and Ardyn could almost taste Noctis' magic prowess on his tongue as he watched the object of his affection take his firm position in front of Quicksilver. The air around them pulsed with so much pressure, it almost felt painful to Ardyn's ears. His loyal Chocobo companion had long since disappeared to find a safe hiding spot. Even the camp fire snuffed out, its tender flames defenseless to the full brunt of energy encasing their location. Going by how nature reacted to the beautiful man's presence, Ardyn thought he would faint just by imagining about the sheer _frenzied_ potential Noctis must carry inside. The trees swaying in the far darkness were his only warning before billions of magic shards exploded out of Noctis' lean body, illuminating the entire area with a blinding light before the inevitable occurred: the unleashing of Noctis' own royal artifacts.

Ardyn tried catching his breath with his mouth agape and almost choked in the process. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. To say he'd been overwhelmed by Noctis' omnipotent existence would be a massive understatement.

No matter how hard he tried, Ardyn was not able to look away. The way Noctis fought in battle was just as formidable as it was exhilarating to watch. Noctis warped around the area as if it were as easy as breathing, knocking the MTs heads off without batting an eye, ripping their magitek limbs off like these were mere toys and managed to avoid the built-in firearms and self-destruct mechanisms, in turn using their artillery against them with skill and ease. The man's agility, speed and strength spoke of many battles fought - and won. It became abundantly clear to Ardyn that this wasn't the first time Noctis fought against the Empire's magitek infantry. Noctis was simply too perceptive of the MTs weaknesses, many of which even Ardyn had not been aware. Today, Solheim's superior magitek troopers had no realistic prospect of winning this battle and Ardyn felt terrified with awe. He would never understand how that fascinating man could hold that much control over his staggering Armiger abilities without tiring out too fast.

Ardyn was on the brink of hyperventilating. Noctis' royal arsenal had, by far, a much wider roster and range than Ardyn's own Armiger. Compared to the feats he was honored of witnessing, his own abilities seemed dismal, irrelevant even. How was something like this even possible? Who was that miraculous man really?

"Ardyn! Get your head out of the clouds and protect Quicksilver!" shouted Noctis, snapping Ardyn's attention back to the matter at hand.

"Understood!" Ardyn replied, quickly closing the distance between the frightened blonde and himself. He was right in time, too, because a magitek armor, whose design Ardyn didn't recognize, jumped straight at them and fired several deadly missiles in their direction.

Ardyn swore, swiftly summoning a protective shield of magic around them and braced himself for the impact. Which never came, because Noctis has already warped himself in front of them and savaged the seemingly impenetrable magitek armament right on his weaknesses with ongoing fierce, deadly strikes of his heavy sword. Alternating between the weapons, Noctis strategically severed first the MAs arms and then warped in for its flamethrowers next. Ardyn shuddered with reverence at how fast that fabulous young man dealt the final blows with the royal daggers from afar. The speed and precision with which the daggers hit the MAs mechanic legs were nothing short of mind-boggling. Ardyn watched how the clumsy MA toppled over as his leg got destroyed by a particular vicious attack, spilling oil to the ground of which Noctis took immediate advantage and ignited the ground with fire Elemancy, thus ending the enemy's wrath.

Noctis was instantly by his side, pushing Ardyn and Quicksilver out of the way and shouted, "Ardyn, shield! Now!"

With quick reflexes, Ardyn summoned his strongest protective barrier around everyone, just in time before the MA self-destructed on the spot in a sea of flames.

Noctis swiftly extinguished the overcoming flames with ice Elemancy afterward and then collapsed on his knees, with his hands down on the ground, inhaling and exhaling the fresh air as if his life depended on it.

Quicksilver slowly came out from his hiding spot behind Ardyn, shaking, breathing heavily from adrenaline and staring with an expression of incredulity at the devastated area around them. Ardyn understood his feelings, he was unable to comprehend how they were still alive as well.

"Noctis..." Ardyn said softly, patting in passing Quicksilver's shoulder as a sign of celebration and then hastened his strides toward the exhausted man before him. The sheer awe and gratefulness he felt at that moment for Noctis overwhelmed Ardyn. This stranger right here saved all of their lives today. Single-handedly.

He knelt beside that wondrous young man, gently placing an arm around Noctis' back for support, if needed. "Let me assist you. You'll get your energy back in no time."

"Will... will he be all right?" asked Quicksilver worried, sitting down on Noctis' other side and rubbed his comrade's shaking back soothingly back and forth.

Ardyn smiled, confident in his healing arts. "What do you think?" he retorted teasingly.

The blonde young man smiled sheepishly back, avoiding Ardyn's eyes shyly. Quicksilver looked immensely relieved.

A sudden blanket of warmth and light engulfed Noctis' drained body, and right after, the dark-haired man, who understandably became too weak to support his arms and legs on his own any longer, fell gently sideways. And Ardyn, of course, was there to catch him.

* * *

To be continued.


	3. Chapter Three - The Calling

**Chapter Three - The Calling**

* * *

Noctis hasn't ridden a Chocobo in a long while. He would recognize their unique smell miles away. His fond memories of the cute, fluffy companions brought a soft yet sad smile to his lips. Those were memories of better times. Even though Noctis didn't regret anything, he couldn't help but wish his younger self would have enjoyed such small and simple pleasures as riding a Chocobo a bit more back in the days. He opened his sleepy eyes and found himself staring at two arms embracing him firmly around his waist – as if the person sitting behind him wanted to make sure he wouldn't fall of and possibly injure himself. He didn't understand, why did he feel so exhausted?

That's when everything came back to him: the Startscourge; escaping the facility; Solheim's magitek infantry; the battle; the victory... And then, Ardyn...

"Hey there, you feeling okay?" asked the younger man behind him.

Noctis glanced over his shoulder. "Huh? Not sure..." he answered tiredly. "Where are we going?"

Quicksilver shrugged, his chin pointing ahead of them into the dark night. "His Highness said to follow his trails. He went ahead of us to make sure the route is safe."

"So... you trust him?" asked Noctis, looking around them with a weary gaze.

The blonde snorted in a funny way. "Definitely! You haven't heard of His Highness' noble deeds? He's the only one giving a crap about what's happening to our people and the only one capable of stopping the Starscourge from spreading out too fast. He's a hero! Everyone back in Insomnia adores and admires him."

"Heh, really..." acknowledged Noctis, caressing the soft, black feathers in front of him. He couldn't keep the inner sarcasm away. Obviously, Quicksilver complimenting Ardyn sounded all wrong to his ears.

Something must also be wrong with his eyes. This was Gralea, wasn't it? Where once had been a wasteland full of ice and snow, now there was only lush, green vegetation and trees as old and as high as the skyscrapers of Noctis' old home. The glowing moonlight, shining its soft rays of light in between the thick branches of the trees, illuminated the misty woodland before him exactly in ways he always imagined in his childhood. A fairy tale come true. He drank in the magical atmosphere, inhaling and exhaling the crisp, fresh air of the night and allowed himself to relax a bit more in Quicksilver's warm arms. In response, the blonde pulled the soft blanket a bit tighter around their bodies to keep the warmth between them from escaping. Noctis didn't know why, but he felt connected to the younger man behind him in a way which made him all of a sudden sorely missing the presence of Prompto, Ignis and Gladio by his side...

 _How were the guys doing?_ Noctis wondered. Had the dawn reached his dearest friends? Was everyone okay?

"By the way, I... I'd like to thank you for saving my life. Not only once, but twice. I don't know how to ever repay–"

"Nothing to thank me for," Noctis interrupted the younger man. "I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"Of course!" answered Quicksilver firmly. "It's just... I don't have any special abilities. As long as I can remember, I've been living alone on the streets. I wish I knew how to properly defend myself and other people. I don't like feeling helpless," the blonde man admitted softly.

Noctis patted Quicksilver's arm. "If you really mean it, I can teach you how to defend yourself. Seems like we'll be stuck together for some time anyway. What do you say?"

"Heaven! You would?!" The younger man's arms squeezed around Noctis a bit tighter, his happiness palpable as he laughed out loud.

"It's a promise," said Noctis, determined to share his magic with his new companion as soon as he would feel better.

As if on cue, Quicksilver began whistling the familiar Chocobo melody and Noctis smiled wistfully. Indeed, this wasn't his imagination only. Quicksilver had so much in common with Prompto, it was slightly uncanny.

The Chocobo slowed down and came to a halt with a friendly greeting as Ardyn suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of them.

"There you are, young lads. Quick, let's enter our safe haven. I have everything prepared for the night," the healer said.

Ardyn and Quicksilver held onto Noctis carefully as he climbed down their feathered friend, all the way assisting his weak steps until they came to stand in front of a wall camouflaged by vegetation.

"Do we need to climb up that wall? Seriously? Noctis isn't ready for something draining like that..." reprimanded the youngest among them, who sounded extremely protective of Noctis.

"Have no worries," replied Ardyn with a secretive, little smirk on his face and then swished his arm in a welcoming gesture. The amber-eyed man pulled some branches of ivy to the side, revealing the entrance to a well hidden cottage. "I admit, it's not much. But it's safe." Ardyn scratched the back of his head as he opened the door. "Either way, let's go inside."

 **...**

As they entered the small cottage, Noctis felt immediately relieved to see three sturdy looking, wooden beds positioned to his right against the wall, illuminated by several candles placed in each corner of the rather confined space. For some unknown reason the dizziness came back and he was barely able to stand on his own feet anymore. "Need to lie down," he murmured to Quicksilver.

"Right," agreed the blonde man, navigating around the round table and helping Noctis making himself comfortable on the nearest bed. Quicksilver gently pulled the warm blanket over his exhausted body, asking, "Do you wish to sleep?"

Noctis shook his head. "Not yet, my mind is awake, and..." His stomach growled furiously. "I'm a bit hungry," he admitted with a weak smile.

Ardyn blazed the old, small fireplace on the opposite wall alight with cozy warmth. Turning to look at Noctis, he said, "I can prepare nourishment for us. Meanwhile, why don't we introduce ourselves properly? I have every intention of being honest with you if you're willing to honor me back with the same sincerity."

The older men locked eyes and assessed each other silently for one minute.

Quicksilver felt that same, undefinable tension grow as it did before and decided to intervene. "Look, let's eat something first. We're all starving, right? Your Highness, how may I be of help?"

Noctis heard his old enemy gently sighing and then watched the red-haired man turn and move around the small space in preparation for their meal. Watching Ardyn bustling around, who gave Quicksilver instructions on how to wash his hands first and then how to peel and cut the vegetables, and seeing his former enemy being all generous, kind, healthy and _alive_ , made Noctis turn everything he knew about the man in his head. How much could he reveal about himself without frightening or turning the older man away from him? He knew he had to win over Ardyn's trust if he wanted to find answers regarding his purpose and placement in this strange world. Which brought him back to an old dilemma: conversation has never been his strongest point.

"What date do we have today?" Noctis asked. Best to start the conversation with something small and inconspicuous.

Ardyn gave him a small glance from the table. "Monday, April the eighth, thirteen years after the arrival of the Meteor of Six."

Thirteen years after the arrival of the Meteor of Six? If Noctis remembered right, that's somewhere around two thousands years far back into their past. That's when ancient history spoke of the downfall of the _ancients_. How did he manage to end up in the middle of it happening? He felt his eyes bulging from sheer surprise. He clearly needed a moment to process the true meaning of Ardyn's severe response, there was nothing small and inconspicuous about that. Of course, there had been some guesswork on his side and the possibility of traveling back in time did occur to him before because nothing else made sense to his fried brain cells... But to have that suspicion so easily confirmed? Noctis didn't know what to think of it and felt himself getting a little sick to his stomach.

He will never get back home, will he?

"Do the two of you remember for how long you were captive? And if you don't mind me asking, and I apologize if my questions make you uncomfortable, do you recollect any of the experiments those fools have done to you? If anyone here could help me figure out Solheim's current machinations, it would be the two of you. I would appreciate if you could relate to me every detail you might remember," Ardyn said, his eyes expectantly shifting back and forth between Quicksilver and Noctis.

"To be honest, I have no clue how I got here in the first place, let alone being aware of the entire duration of my confinement," Noctis admitted, staring thoughtfully at the wooden ceiling.

Quicksilver cleared his throat, saying, "Well, about one week ago, they brought Noctis down to my cell. I think he must have already been injected with the scourge malady because he was unconscious and unresponsive the following days after. Once or twice a day, the scientists came back to check on him. They were talking to each other in a foreign language and seemed extremely excited. I... I've seen many people come and go over the months I've been there and, as far as I know, nobody survived the vaccinations. Noctis did, though..."

Ardyn's eyebrows met his own hairline. "I see, that certainly explains the infantry's sudden presence earlier. Apparently, their mission had been to retrieve Noctis, who's possibly the very first test subject to have exceeded their expectations."

"I don't feel any different, other than a little weak from the battle," said Noctis, looking at Ardyn with a frown on his face. "You said the Starscourge in my body is gone?"

"Indeed," answered Ardyn, his calculating eyes never leaving Noctis' face.

Noctis deepened his frown, addressing his comrade, "My lineage should have prevented my body from getting infected. Despite my protection, Solheim has found a way to circumvent it. I want to know how. We need to go back."

"What?! That's suicide!" Quicksilver hissed, the chair tipping and knocking to the ground as he stood up swiftly. The younger man's frantic eyes pleaded with Ardyn. "Your Highness, there's no way we're going back there, please. Both of you have no idea what kind of things all those people working down there are capable of... we won't make it out alive a second time."

Ardyn set his knife down on the table and observed the blonde man's frightened attitude for a while before turning around on his own chair, regarding Noctis in an open and sincere manner. "I understand and share your motivation to go back there. For the time being, I suggest avoiding strenuous confrontations with Solheim's infantry at all cost. We need to give your body time to heal. Monitoring your recovery has priority, in case something unforeseen might happen to you. I assure you, the research facility won't go anywhere."

Quicksilver sighed in relief and collected his chair from the floor. After sitting down again, the blonde resumed peeling the skins of something that looked suspiciously like carrots or potatoes, quietly listening to the exchange between the two older men.

"Fine. No more battles, for now," Noctis agreed. He huffed, the annoyance of his momentary weakness visible on his face. "Then let's make a deal: if I promise to open up about my true origin, then in return, you have to bring me in the presence of the Crystal. That's the only place I can get some answers of my own."

The older man stared at Noctis with a baffled expression on his face. He then proceeded to calmly take his hat down and placed it on an empty spot on the table. Rearranging his red-violet curls and then binding them into a low ponytail, Ardyn chuckled softly to himself and teased Noctis, "Oh my, didn't you already know? We mere mortals answer to the Crystal's call, not the other way around. Taking you in front of the Astral's most precious gem without any proof of entitlement would secure everyone of us imprisonment for life – or worse. I'm afraid, that's something I cannot allow."

"Then the deal is off, I can't tell you about myself without knowing anything of my purpose here. Let's leave it at that..."

Ardyn chuckled again. "I see, playing hot and cold with me, aren't you? I like that," he said.

The blonde man almost choked on his own tongue and it was apparent to Noctis that he tried to hold back his surprise at Ardyn's coquet response. Quicksilver's flustered reaction suddenly gave Noctis a different perspective on how Ardyn behaved around him. For instance, was Ardyn _flirting_? Nah, it must be Ardyn's usual, insufferable self making an appearance. His former enemy used to always talk in riddles, not afraid of freely speaking his mind, oozing innuendos while his words reflected ambiguous intentions – always leaving negative connotations in their wake.

Noctis watched Ardyn placing the cut vegetables inside a pot, pouring some water over it and bringing the content to a quick boil over the fire. Honestly, Noctis didn't know what to think of the man. At one hand his whole being shuddered with revolt, resenting everything this man had once become and had represented back home. On the other hand, he felt compassion and sympathy for his former enemy after finally knowing some of the truth. Having overcome his own fear of death, experiencing the world beyond the mortal veil which was still so fresh on the forefront of his impressionable mind, has opened Noctis' eyes to the shallowness of his former feelings of revenge. Right then and there, as he quietly observed the younger, more naïve version of Ardyn, Noctis felt a bit at a loss...

It took the current prince of Lucis a few minutes until he was ready to take the bait, not aware of Noctis' inner turmoil. "Let's say... I deem the information you're going to provide me with to be worthy the risk of an audience with the Crystal. What are your plans moving forward? Armiger ability aside, you claim not knowing how you got here, and yet you know all of the Empire's infantry weaknesses and seem to possess the knowledge on how to handle their magitek weaponry in battle. This knowledge of yours is invaluable to me. To cut to the chase, I wish to forge an alliance," Ardyn said, casually stirring the pot after throwing in some seasonings.

Noctis scrutinized his former enemy with serious eyes, looking carefully for any old signs of deception.

"Eos is dying," the older man added softly, looking over his shoulder and meeting Noctis' eyes almost in a desperate manner. "Noctis, were you to join me in my sacred mission of purging the world from the Starscourge, the chances of surviving the trials ahead would easily go up for everyone. Fools set the rules of this world. Take a look around you, it's undeniable. Why not lead by example and unite, bringing back peace to Eos instead?"

Something told Noctis that Ardyn was sincere with his goals. But could he really go through those same, painful trials once again? Noctis had been there and done that already, didn't he? He clenched the soft blanket in his fists, squeezing his eyes tightly shut in despair. He felt drained, his soul yearning for rest. Noctis just wanted the world to leave him alone for once.

"Allow me to speak frankly: nothing can be more important than bringing an end to the suffering of the world. Moral excellence, trust and loyalty are hard to come by these days. Despite the scarcity, such are the fundamental virtues that I keep close to my heart. In case you would be agreeable to such a union, it goes without saying that staying true to those values will greatly affect the outcome of our cooperation," Ardyn explained.

The irony of his former enemy's words didn't escape Noctis and that brought a bitter smile to his face. How much destruction and suffering could have been avoided, if only Ardyn had stayed true to the same virtues he so highly regarded and cherished? What had truly happened for Ardyn to easily disregard all of his goodness and strong values? Hiding in the shadows for centuries, going as far as orchestrating and manipulating various nations to go against each other and killing myriad of innocents in the process, hell, that didn't seem like something _this_ _version_ of Ardyn would be capable of, right?

Noctis felt an irrational pull inside to protect exactly that virtuous side of Ardyn, and that's when an important realization struck him like a lightning bolt: the whole mess had once started because Ardyn had been all alone. The healer had no one to rely on, having not only been shunned and betrayed by his own blood and family but having been denied something vital; the Crystal rejected his birth right of leading his people back to freedom and prosperity.

Noctis' eyes wandered over to Quicksilver, who silently observed him in return. Could the solution be really that simple? Noctis knew from experience that without Prompto, Ignis and Gladio, he wouldn't have had the faith and strength to fully commit himself to the prophecy. Interestingly enough, it had been none other than his fated nemesis to remind him of his friend's love and relentless support. It had been none other than the Usurper himself teaching Noctis how utterly priceless true brotherhood was.

Was it possible that Ardyn had envied the keen bond and the emotional intimacy Noctis had shared with his friends all along? Piece by piece, Noctis felt as if the scales were crumbling down from his eyes. This, right here, would be the defining moment when, for the first time in his life, he could make his own decisions regarding his own future. This seemed to be Noctis' chance to not only save Eos' future, but to save Ardyn's and his own life in the process as well.

Would Noctis choose the easy path, following his inclinations toward rest and peace? Or would he dare following another difficult path, full of unknown hardships and struggles? Albeit, the challenging path promised to be a rewarding journey, in various ways, which for some reason felt _right_ and _liberating_ ; a path resonating the most at the deepest levels of his being, if he was honest with himself.

"You can count on my help," Noctis said finally, his decision set in stone. After all, _a king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back_. Noctis would grant Ardyn the priceless experience of companionship and brotherhood. He would bestow upon his former enemy the harmonious future which Noctis himself had been denied of partaking in. He would intrude upon the Crystal's prophecy and change the course of the timeline – consequences be damned.

Their eyes met evenly, an unspoken agreement taking place between them. Noctis felt as if time was standing still. Something significant yet irrevocable was happening. This time, Noctis wasn't afraid of meeting Ardyn halfway.

Ardyn looked like a deer caught in the headlights, the harsh sound of the wooden spoon clattering to the floor shattering whatever trance state they both had been lured into. Going by the long silence that followed after, clearly this hasn't been the answer Ardyn had expected to receive.

"Whatever crazy stunts you two are planning of doing, count me in too. I'm all in for some fame and fortune," Quicksilver quipped in all his seriousness of joining, hoping to relieve the tension in the room once more.

The older men laughed softly at the blonde man's bold intervention, easing into a lighthearted conversation after the silence was broken.

"I'm starving, when can we eat?" fussed Noctis impatiently.

"In a minute. Let me arrange the dishes first," said Ardyn gently, his amber eyes bright with feelings of joy and newly found camaraderie. The honest, unburdened smile on the older man's face was palpable.

Their eyes connected one more time and from then on Noctis understood his purpose. He has made the right decision. Noctis would find a way to dispel the veiled darkness residing and growing inside Ardyn and then he would make sure of keeping that flattering smile on his former nemesis' lips constant.

If only that damn dizziness would finally end messing with his head...

 **...**

For one short moment, Noctis was entirely convinced of having slept tightly on the sturdy bed inside of Ardyn's safe haven. But when he opened his eyes, the view that greeted his eyes wasn't what he expected to see. Sheer darkness dominated his surroundings. Utter silence drowned his aural senses and forced them to focus inwardly; the constant rush of blood in his veins and the regular beating of his heart the only sounds reaching his eardrums.

Noctis tried moving and instinct made him gasp for air when his body didn't respond to his will. The slight movement of his lips on the other hand made him aware of some kind of a breathing aparatus attached to his face. He felt strangely weightless and couldn't tell if his body stood in an upright or in a horizontal position. He could feel slight and feather light caressing movements all over his skin. Was it some coolly, fluid-like substance? Noctis couldn't tell. Whatever that stuff was, it felt gross and somewhat attached to his skin. And this in turn informed him of his naked state. Now would be a good time to get worried, he decided.

Where was he? Why couldn't he move? This reminded him of a sensory deprivation chamber, like the ones he saw in those science fiction movies years ago. What was going on?

Noctis couldn't tell how long he's been inside that silent, dark place but he felt the familiar dizziness taking over his mind once more and then everything turned to blissful black.

"And so we finally meet, brave wanderer."

Noctis struggled to come back to consciousness. His eyelids felt heavy with unnatural sleepiness. The light behind his eyelids seemed blinding. Why was it so damn hard to get his eyes to open?

"Many hear our call, but only few manage to reach us. It's a pleasure and honor to meet you, young wanderer." The soothing sounding, male voice got slightly louder, indicating the person talking to Noctis was getting closer. Though, the voice reverberated inside his head instead of outside of it.

Cool, velvet hands reached for the sides of his face and gently touched his skin.

"Open your eyes..." the tender voice whispered.

And just like that, Noctis' eyes opened, the drowsiness steadily evaporating. The light greeting him was still blinding to his sensitive eyes and he winced slightly.

"Very good, you're adjusting to the frequency of our temporary home. Take your time..."

"I... I don't understand. Where am I? Who are you?" Noctis asked, squinting his eyes to mere slits and trying not to panic. He still couldn't see anything. First that creepy experience with the sensory deprivation chamber and now this.

Cool fingers stroked gently over his forehead. "Have patience, brave wanderer. This is your first time tuning into the fifth density plane. Find your octave. Breathe. Focus on the places my energy touches your centers," the male voice said, gently guiding and stabilizing Noctis' awakened state.

Noctis tried opening his eyes fully and they immediately widened at the ethereal sight before him. Unconditional love flooded his senses and he staggered slightly backwards, struggling to stay on his own feet. The androgynous looking being standing in front of him could only be described as breathtaking. Fair skin with a light bluish complexion, bright looking eyes of a iridescent color and white, long and straight hair that reached his feet. Noctis felt awe-struck at the person's magnetic personality and he blushed a little when he realized both of their bodies weren't covered by any clothing.

The otherworldly looking man smiled in a warm and tender way at Noctis. "I greet you in the love and the light of our Infinite Creator. Our social memory complex have walked your world. We are old upon your planet and have served with varying degrees of success. We have seen the faces of your peoples. Many have forgotten about our existence. On your plane of third density, my past body/mind/spirit complex has been known as Odin, the Reaver. In that state of being, Oracles all over your world were able to commune with myself and download information. In the far past, leaders of your peoples have summoned my presence to aid their battles against the darkness."

Noctis tried taking all the information in, which was extremely difficult as he had to maintain a certain amount of strength to keep himself awake and aware. "Are you what we would call an Astral deity? Why am I here?"

Odin dimmed the glowing light around Noctis, making it easier for him to focus.

"Astrals are body/mind/spirit complexes living in the fourth density plane of existence. We, too, have our place. We are not those of the Love or of the Light. We are those who are of the Law of One. In our vibration of the sixth density plane the polarities are harmonized, the complexities are simplified, and the paradoxes have their solution. We are one. That is our nature and our purpose. As to the reason of why you are here, you heard our call. Vast numbers of synchronicities have paved your way and nudged your decisions toward reaching this plane. The fifth density body/mind/spirit complex known to your peoples as Phoenix, the Reborn, is responsible for your presence in ancient Solheim. Before arriving back on Eos, it was your desire giving aid to your peoples one more time. Metaphysical rules require all third density body/mind/spirit complexes to forget their origin and purpose so they can learn/teach without influences of their past distortions. Therefore, our service today, here on the fifth density plane, is to assist you in remembering again who you truly are. You have arrived in ancient Solheim to aid your peoples in the Harvest."

Noctis would be lying if he said he didn't feel overwhelmed by Odin's words. It seemed, he was about to get his answers, after all.

* * *

To be continued.


	4. Chapter Four - The Rescue Mission

**Chapter Four**

 **...**

Ardyn couldn't sleep.

He tossed and turned under the covers like a madman, his legs decidedly too long for his body to entirely fit upon the small size of his bed. He already has shed most of his royal garments before sleep and he still felt stifling hot all over. In addition to all that, he couldn't get Noctis out of his mind. The events of the hours before were constantly looping before his closed eyes and the whole rigmarole didn't seem to stop anytime soon. It didn't matter how hard he tried to fall asleep, the _insane_ amount of joy and excitement Ardyn felt inside wouldn't let his body embrace some much needed rest. And so he simply decided to surrender to his mind's whims, turning around one more time, this once not hesitating on watching the object of his affection sleeping peacefully next to his own bed.

What was it about Noctis that made Ardyn act, think and feel so uncharacteristically different?

The younger man suddenly appeared into his life with a big bang, taking his breath away with the enigma of those unmistakable powers of Lucis while single-handedly saving all of their lives with grace and skill. Noctis then continued to surprise Ardyn, not only with that strange connection they have briefly shared in the beginning, but also with the man's agreement of staying and helping his cause. _Why_? Ardyn felt mystified. Why would a stranger, whom he met mere hours ago, agree to join his sacred mission so easily? What benefits would the already powerful man possibly be gaining by doing that?

Ardyn shuddered with an undefined emotion. He couldn't shake the feeling away that somehow Noctis might know him at a deeper level. When their eyes had connected earlier that night, Ardyn's world began shifting. The depth and intensity he found inside those gorgeous blue eyes, as they were meeting his own, have been far too intimate and knowledgeable. Ardyn had to find out more about Noctis' true origin and ultimately, what the younger man's real motive was. Before going to sleep, Noctis has promised to Quicksilver and himself they would talk once they all have properly rested.

For now, all Ardyn could do was wait. He counted himself lucky, seeing as patience has always been one of his greatest strengths.

 **...**

"...ness! Your Highness, please, wake up!"

Ardyn awoke with a start, bolting his body instantly upright. He stared alarmed at the frantic looking blonde man before him. "What's wrong, young lad? Did something happen?"

"It's Noctis! He's gone!"

Sleepy eyes shifted toward Noctis' bed; the younger man was indeed gone. "Have you looked outside? Maybe he's gone to relieve himself," Ardyn said calmly. He refused succumbing to fear.

"I did! He's nowhere to be found," replied Quicksilver, breathless and obviously blaming himself. "I'm sure Solheim has come to get him. After everything he's done for me, I've failed him..."

"Now, now. Don't be so quick to judge the situation," Ardyn said - more to reassure himself than Quicksilver. He reached for his clothes and hastily dressed himself. "Let's gather our belongings and then search outside for clues."

...

This was bad. Ardyn has applied all of his excellent tracker knowledge around the cottage area, going back and forth several times; tirelessly searching for clues of footprints, some possible trails of blood or any kind of movement on Noctis' or Solheim's side; only for him to come back to Quicksilver, half an hour later, completely empty-handed. He tried to hide from the younger man how worried he truly became over Noctis' absence.

"There's something off about all of this. It's almost as if Noctis vanished into thin air," Ardyn said, sending Quicksilver an apologizing glance while he sat down on one of the beds. "Even I couldn't find a trace of him outside..."

The blonde man sat up from his chair, clenching his hands tightly into fists, his lean frame trembling. "But there must be something we can do! Noctis needs us. He saved our lives, we can't let him down," Quicksilver said, tears appearing in his light-blue eyes. "Eos only knows what kind of gruesome things Solheim is doing to him right now. We need to act quickly. Please, Your Highness."

Ardyn was amazed by the fierce devotion and loyalty Quicksilver showed toward the other man. The blonde barely knew the other and yet this caring man right here seemed ready to do anything in order to save Noctis.

Why did that surprise Ardyn so much? Didn't Ardyn himself feel the same way?

"Tell me everything you know about your escape yesterday. We might have to go back to the facility, after all."

Quicksilver flinched and his expression resembled that of a hurt kitten.

"Suffice to say, I don't like the idea either, but that's the only lead we have," Ardyn explained gently.

"I... all right," Quicksilver reluctantly agreed.

And so the younger man sat back down on his chair and Ardyn listened the entire time carefully to his narration.

"... and that's how we escaped," the blonde ended his short tale. "There was this blinding light all around us and then all of a sudden Noctis and I reappeared outside of the building, lying on the ground in that same spot you later discovered us at. We defied all physical laws known to man yesterday. A body defying gravity and jumping through walls? Hell, I still can't believe Noctis performed a miracle like that in front of my eyes..."

Ardyn took a shaky breath, his astute mind reeling and his wide eyes once again shining with pure admiration for that wondrous man. The tremendous pain Noctis had to have been in yesterday must have been devastating on its own... and still the younger man had found some inner source of strength, even going as far as sharing his powers to save Quicksilver's life on top of everything. What kind of immense power must exist inside Noctis for the man to warp without the assistance of weapons, never mind teleporting another person at the same time! Would Noctis ever cease to amaze him? After everything he has witnessed so far, Ardyn didn't think his heavily pounding heart could take any more of this miraculous man's feats. His emotions for Noctis already ran far too deep for his taste and Ardyn couldn't help but feel scared by his own, preposterous reactions.

"Thank you for telling me. I think I understand now," Ardyn said, standing up from his seat. His pensive eyes fell upon Noctis' empty bed. "Noctis and yourself have been involved as test subjects in Solheim's ruthless _daehuman_ project. As the only survivor, apparently, Noctis' DNA has been affected by the daemon's DNA overnight. Despite the purity of my healing diligently working on his physical body, I can't even fathom how this additional daemon information inside Noctis had been able of taking over his unconscious mind. With those heightened daemon abilities awakened, Solheim must have found a way of controlling them and thus - perhaps unaware of Noctis' skill of teleportation - abducting Noctis in his sleep."

Quicksilver gasped. "Shit, Noctis is part daemon now... Your Highness, do you think it's too late to save him?"

"We have no way of knowing what exactly we're dealing with..." Ardyn said. He cursed under his breath and ruffled his curly hair a few times. "Anyway, by now, the Empire must have become aware of Noctis' powers of teleportation. We need to hurry. If the enemy were to discover Noctis' whole range of Armiger abilities, then all chances of ending this war might be lost. Imagine the infantry suddenly being capable of exploiting Noctis' egregious warp skills; I shudder to think of how the future state of our world will look like if we allow those fools modifying our physical laws, of all things."

"You mean, we're truly going back there?" The younger man asked, nervously gnawing on his lower lip.

"I'm afraid, we must. However, I won't think less of you if you may wish to stay here in the end," Ardyn said softly.

Quicksilver looked upset. "I know, I won't be of much help out there. If only I had a gun... It's been a few years but it's the only weapon I can wield. Other than that, I'm pretty much useless. I can't really fight or use swords or anything like that."

"You can wield guns? Why didn't you tell us before?" Ardyn's eyes grew impossibly large.

The younger man shrugged, a sheepish smile on his lips. "It slipped my mind, I guess. Besides, as a citizen of Insomnia it was illegal to carry a gun with me around, so I genuinely forgot about that after awhile."

Ardyn sighed and materialized a royal firearm out of his personal Armiger dimension. He approached Quicksilver and held his favorite weapon out for the man to inspect. "How far has your expertise grown? Once we're inside the enemy's territory, I'll need you to cover my back. If you can do that, we might have a realistic chance of rescuing Noctis. Your bravery and help would be much appreciated," he said, barely able of keeping his excitement in check. Ardyn didn't think he could do this all on his own, so Quicksilver's unexpected ability would definitely be a godsend.

"That's a Cerberus! A unique sniper rifle crafted with Insomnian technology. Wow, the scope enables precision targeting of appendages," Quicksilver said, meeting Ardyn's eyes excitedly. "This one is amazing! I've studied lots about firearms in the past. I've never got to see one of those in real life, though."

Ardyn smiled. "Well, well. A demonstration of your skill would be quite appropriate. Will you do me the honor?"

 **...**

They went outside and placed a few overripe apples atop long, chopped blocks of wood; the inedible fruits formed a line in front of the cottage, a few feet apart from each other.

Ardyn stepped back at a safe distance, crossed his arms and watched the younger man's trial with hawk-like eyes from afar.

Likewise, Quicksilver focused and brought himself into position. He released the safety catch of the gun, memorized all various locations of his targets and then took some deep breaths in preparation of the task ahead.

"Go on, let's see how many of the apples you can shoot down. I'll consider the demonstration a success if you can hit at least five out of ten apples. And then-"

Quicksilver didn't wait for whatever Ardyn had to say next, instead, he aimed the fearsome Cerberus at a target to his right and fired his first bullet. The moment the gunshot pierced its wrinkled skin, the apple blew up into multiple, juicy pieces; the expert shot went straight through the middle, just as intended. The blonde had the audacity to _smirk_ at Ardyn and then the young man went on, this time firing bullets with his new weapon in quick succession, striking nine out of ten apples down the line with ease. Quicksilver missed his last target only because his finger slipped from the trigger for a second; probably his instinct had been kicking in to remind him of the need to reload. Fascinated by his own results, Quicksilver exhaled slowly and examined the gun more closely, weighing the almost weightless, intricate and sleek design a few times in his hand. Ardyn fully understood the younger man's enchantment with Cerberus. Made out of the most rare and expensive metals - mythril, orichalcum and adamantine ore - Cerberus was a stunning piece of _art_. Its design had one of the highest muzzle velocity power ever crafted; it was completely devoid of backward momentum and was eerily silent thanks to the integrated suppressor in the front. In addition to all that, the ammunition never emptied - thanks to Ardyn's powerful magic, it was constantly materializing and reloading bullets inside the firearm, which also allowed the shooter to never leave the trigger during the reloading process - something Quicksilver found out now by chance. This right here was Ardyn's dearest treasure. Judging by the stunned expression on Quicksilver's face, he must be in seventh heaven and understandably so.

The blonde man engaged the safety of the gun and then turned to look at the older man, his delicate eyebrows raised in question.

Ardyn had to shake himself out of his stupor. Watching Quicksilver making short work of the targets, has been... _startling_ , to say the least. The usually shy, easily frightened and stammering young man suddenly was like a complete different person while holding Cerberus in his hands.

"Well?" Quicksilver challenged, waiting for the older man's verdict.

"What are we waiting for? We have a comrade to rescue," Ardyn said, a pleased smile appearing on his face. He whistled, calling his loyal Chocobo to his side and petted her velvet, black feathers a few times gently. "My sweet girl, are you ready for our next adventure?" The Chocobo cooed once as Ardyn hugged the bird affectionately and he carried on with his dialogue, "Or are you thirsty, hungry and still tired, my love?"

The blonde man pouted, mumbling, "Yeah, just ignore me, why won't you?"

Ardyn heard that and smirked in response. Sparing a glance back at Quicksilver, he said, "You may consider me impressed after we've made it out alive from the enemy's clutches, Noctis in tow included. Come, young lad. I'm sure the enemy won't be waiting around all day, dilly-dallying like us," he said.

Besides, Ardyn worried himself sick and thought of Noctis' well-being constantly. The urge to rip the Empire apart grew stronger with every moment that passed...

 **...**

The journey itself back to Ghorovas Rift, the land next to the borders of Gralea, went smoothly. About an hour in, the two men, who have embarked on a difficult rescue mission all by themselves, arrived near the enemy's lair without any outside interference. But the real problem revealed itself once they dismounted the Chocobo and got closer to the Empire's facility on foot.

"What in Eos' name is this?" asked Ardyn puzzled, looking further down below the hillside where they currently stood upon.

They hid themselves behind the safety of the shadows of trees and bushes, careful not to touch the red glowing, artificial magitek grid protecting the entire area ahead.

"This doesn't look to me like a research facility, that's a damn military base..." Quicksilver whispered, staring dumbly at the masses of stationary infantry in front of the gates; dozens of MAs and MTs as far as his eyes could reach and even some Magitek Engine's, five in their numbers, which flew over the compact base in slow circles and probably contained some more magitek foes standing on standby. "Hell, that's overkill... Why would they waste so much military power on such a small base?"

Ardyn scowled. "Jackpot, I'd say. Would you look at that? With a heavy security like this, they must hide something vastly valuable inside. The outdoor base we see here must be a decoy, the true prize lies deeper underground..." he whispered back.

"Noctis must be in there, no doubt," agreed the younger man. "So, the facility, the one where Noctis and I had been held captive previously, exists somewhere underground this military base. Great, huh? A base inside another base, or some high level security shit like that, and this means, lots of closed doors to overcome without having the proper clearance. Any ideas how we get inside, Your Highness?"

"Not yet. We have no choice but wait until it's gotten dark. With that much time on our hands, we'll surely devise a clever plan. A successful infiltration of such magnitude needs us eschewing broad daylight at all costs," Ardyn said, a sober frown on his face.

And so they waited. Embraced by the safety of the wilderness and shadows of vegetation, they vitalized themselves. They took out some nourishment from Ardyn's bag, eating slices of delicious dry meat and cheese, a few pieces of bread, and then rounding their meal with some sweet, exotic fruits and water while they contemplated the best course to sneak into the deep underground of the building.

"How old are you?" asked Ardyn suddenly out of nowhere.

"Huh? Ah, I'm twenty two," Quicksilver replied.

"And what did you do for a living before you ended up in the enemy's clutches?"

Quicksilver blinked a few times, surprised that the older man would be interested to know about his past. "Uhm... I've had no home. I basically lived on the streets, or rather tried to survive..." the blonde man answered ashamed, looking anywhere but at Ardyn. Clearly this topic bothered Quicksilver.

"I apologize, young lad. It wasn't my intention snooping around on something you're uncomfortable with," said Ardyn softly.

"N-no, it's okay, you couldn't have known..." Quicksilver said, sighing out loud and looking up into the sky. "It's just... meeting Noctis and yourself has given me an option out of my previous ways of living. I can't believe how lucky I am, traveling with His Highness himself and with my savior Noctis. Barely a day has gone by, but man, that feels already like I finally found a place where I belong to, meeting people to whom I can somehow be useful, you know? I haven't thanked you properly for that, so..." the blonde stopped talking, facing Ardyn with a shy smile which made his whole handsome face seem much younger. He bowed respectfully. "I formally thank you, Your Highness."

Ardyn observed the other man in silence. He has always felt responsible for his brother's haphazard decisions back at home. The growing poverty all over in Insomnia is a definite proof of poor judgment on Somnus' part. Young people like Quicksilver were the ones inspiring Ardyn's mission to heal the world. The younger generations had to be carefully nurtured, protected and instructed on how to live their lives to the fullest. This was the vision Ardyn held most dear, a future where everyone could live wisely and lovingly together. Wishful thinking on his side, perhaps. None the less, he strived to ensure his people would get to that precious kind of freedom and prosperity. Too bad, that Somnus' close-minded vision didn't reach that far ahead...

"I could offer you a future position as a personal Glaive at my side. As you might know, my official crowning ceremony will start once the Crystal deems my humble service to mankind as worthy. Soon, the Crystal blesses my blood with my rightful, kingly gift. What do you say? Won't you join me in my quest, guiding and protecting the people of Lucis?" he asked.

Quicksilver barely dared breathing. The poor lad looked close to fainting.

To better explain himself, Ardyn added on top to his previous proposition: "I know what I've said before, that I'll compliment your skill only after we're done. But I'll indulge you a bit earlier and say, I was mightily pleased by the potential of your firearm skills. Expanding on that further, you seem highly loyal and passionate about people you care about; Noctis is a good example. You hardly know him as it is and last night you were out of your mind with fright at the notion of going back to the facility. Yet, here you are today. That fact alone is highly commendable in my eyes," said Ardyn gently.

The older man admitted of having grown a fond spot for Quicksilver already, so why not giving the young man the option of growth under his personal wing? Offering the man the option of a better, purposeful future?

Quicksilver hid his face behind his longer hair while he looked down at the ground, his lean frame slightly shaking as his fingers fumbled nervously with dried blades of gras. The older man could hear the man's silent sniffles, so he simply sat back and gave Quicksilver some polite space to work out the answer to his offer in the privacy of the man's own mind.

Meanwhile, Ardyn's thoughts drifted back to Noctis. He could only hope that the dark-haired man's circumstances would be tolerable, at best. He had no illusions about the Empire's barbaric methods of coercion. Thinking back at all those fools working inside that base, dabbling with all kinds of dangerous things they clearly didn't understand, made Ardyn's blood boil hotly with vengeance. The severity of his fury over Solheim's evident misuse of power has exponentially grown since he met Noctis and since he has seen with his own eyes what these utter idiots were capable off. What would become of Noctis, now that the man had been infused with the daemon's genome? Would the wondrous man mutate into a mindless daemon one day? Would the object of his affection lose his soul to the devil, so to speak? Would Noctis ever again remember his true essence? Eos, Ardyn wished with all his might they won't be too late and that his own powers of healing would suffice in completing the purge of Noctis' life energy template and ridding the man's body of that dark abomination...

The younger man's silent, heartfelt sounds of crying stopped and Ardyn took that as a sign to resume their conversation. "Young lad, you don't have to give me an answer immediately. Take your time. Think about what you want and be honest with yourself, understood?" he asked, keeping his voice as soft as possible.

Quicksilver nodded his head, biting his lower lip to keep it from trembling and Ardyn smiled considerately at his protégé. "It's getting dark. We should focus back on our goal," he said.

"Right," agreed the blonde, wiping the tracks of his tears with his hand away.

They stood up and cleaned after themselves, packing away the left-over food into Ardyn's bag.

"Let's go over our plan one more time," whispered Ardyn, walking closer to the protective grid of Solheim's base. He made some room for Quicksilver to join him in the shadows. "I'll use my power to produce an invisible barrier of my own around us. This means you'll stay by my side at all times, lest the magitek grid detects us. In addition to that, we both avoid the glaring lights monitoring the grounds, staying always in the shadows. Last but not least, we avoid confrontations with the MAs and you'll leave the stealth kills of MTs to me. On my mark, you'll use Cerberus from afar and silently eliminate foes, who could pose a danger to my position. And finally, I'll leave it to you to cover my back."

"What if I miss a shot?" asked the blonde man next to him, who pursed his lips at the mere thought of failure.

The older man placed his hand on Quicksilver's shoulder, a reassuring look in his eyes to calm the younger man. "In case something goes wrong, keep close to me. I'll take care of everything else. Any questions?"

"No, I'm ready whenever you are," answered Quicksilver.

"Perfect," said Ardyn. "It's time to get serious."

 **...**

The men sneaked past several lines of unmoving magitek troopers, swiftly moving along the dark spots of the enemy's base. They hid behind ammunition barrels and in the shadows of magitek powered towers every time an MA made its round into the men's close proximity. Always looking out for each others back, Quicksilver and Ardyn made haste. They had to reach the underground base, overcoming all clearance issues, then find, retrieve and heal Noctis if needed, and then, lastly, sneaking back out of the base - preferably undetected - before the sun would rise. It was a lot to cover.

Thanks to the compact structure of the base outside, the entrance was already close by. Several patrolling MTs blocked off their path, the door only several feet away. Time was short, so they communicated silently to each other and then Quicksilver made Cerberus ready for action.

On the older man's mark, Quicksilver fired at the patrolling MT's chest and simultaneously, Ardyn warped behind the other one and stabbed the pulsing magitek core with the silent precision of his Rune Saber.

The blonde missed his first shot and the younger man's hands were badly shaking because of it. Thankfully, the MT walking ahead of Quicksilver didn't notice anything amiss.

Ardyn nodded his head, letting Quicksilver know with a sign of his hand to leave the MT to him. With fast strides, he jumped behind the unsuspecting trooper and knocked off the head first. With its face out of the way, the MT wouldn't be able to rise alarm. Noctis had shown him all of the MT's weaknesses in yesterday's battle and Ardyn would make sure to remember and exploit each one of them. With a swift movement of his arm, he pierced his foe through its artificial heart, the remains of the MT's core dissipating into black smoke.

Careful of staying close to Quicksilver's side, the older man warped to the other man's left and stealth-killed another clueless trooper right as it was about to turn around the corner.

"It's all right, keep your head. You got this," said Ardyn, encouraging his protégé to gather his wits after getting back to the younger man's location.

The blonde kneeled down behind a tower and short bursts of tremor shook the man's body. "I-I'm so sorry... I really messed up," whispered Quicksilver, lump in throat and teary-eyed.

"No, you didn't," retorted Ardyn softly. "Look around you, we're still undetected. Everything is fine."

Quicksilver shook his head, pushing Ardyn away. "Shit, I can't do this. I'm weak and I'm useless...," the younger man said, foolishly insisting on his own sense of guilt.

Ardyn sighed and placed the palm of his hand on the top of the blonde's head in a fond manner. He was slightly cheating as he allowed light wisps of healing magic appease Quicksilver's inner distress. "Listen, young lad, don't forget the true reason you're here today. Noctis needs you. It doesn't matter if you hit or miss; what should matter the most to you, is to get Noctis out alive of this base. Isn't this why you agreed to come with me?"

"I... yeah, you're right, Noctis needs me. Give me a moment..." replied the trembling man, taking several calming breaths and slapping himself with both of his hands on each side of his face. "Seriously, what the fuck am I doing?" Quicksilver asked himself. The younger man seemed furious.

The older man, however, took a few steps back, leaving some private space between himself and Quicksilver. Ardyn had no business intruding into his protégé's monologue, nor on the unique way of dealing with his own problems. So instead, he used his astute mind to gather information about the remaining number of troopers they still had to overcome.

Fourteen patrolling MTs separated the men from the eagerly anticipated entrance. They have come that far, the entryway was within reach, now they would push all way through the end.

"Again, sorry. I'm good now, let's go," whispered Quicksilver, who stood up from his kneeling position and looked emotionally much steadier than before.

Ardyn gave him a thumbs up and a proud looking smile. "Let's do this," he said.

They geared up and prepared themselves one more time, and then they sneaked carefully to the innermost and thus, final part of the decoy base. The men used the same way of silent communication as before to keep each others back safe. Little by little, they veiled themselves within the shadows of the walls and slowly got closer to the last line of defense. Only for them to realize too late that there wasn't much space where they could backtrack into hiding anymore. On one hand, the patrolling MTs on their own wouldn't pose such a huge problem, the bright lights on the other hand would definitely make everything more difficult. This meant no more stealth kills for Ardyn.

"What do we do now?" Quicksilver quietly asked and crouched closer to his mentor. The shadows of the wall, in which they both were cloaking themselves, were the last areas of safety left and therefore, their next options became few.

"It's your time to shine, young lad," whispered Ardyn to the younger man.

"Okay..." Quicksilver whispered back. The man gulped dryly but got himself into position anyway.

"Don't forget, you can one-shot the MTs if you aim Cerberus at their magitek cores. I know you can do it," said Ardyn quietly with a soft smile on his lips.

His protégé sent a shy smile back before the young man got Cerberus action ready. And then, all of a sudden, that fearless persona was back again: the cheeky, confident and self-reliant side of Quicksilver. For the second time today, Ardyn felt mind-boggled by the unusual transformation happening before his eyes. Was this Quicksilver's true self?

In all honesty, Ardyn hasn't been prepared for such an accurate man-weapon interaction from his charge; not after the brief emotional meltdown he had witnessed earlier. Quicksilver's focus seemed to have reached legendary levels as the MT's energy cores fizzled out into nothingness, one after another. The older man watched the artificial troopers fall flat on their faces or on their backs. Their programming began malfunctioning the instant the unrelenting force behind Cerberus' bullets pierced their broad chests, ending up with their limbs convulsing all over the place in circles until they came to a stop. The scene playing in front of Ardyn's eyes would have been quite comical, if only the stakes wouldn't have been so high that served to remind him of the gravity of the situation.

That's when the moment of truth came; complete silence predominated the entrance area and the men finally were free to enter the enemy's lair for real.

Quicksilver blew the imaginary steam off of Cerberus and rotated the gun on his finger several times before Ardyn dematerialized the weapon back into his Armiger dimension.

"Satisfied?" asked the blonde cheekily, scratching himself behind his ear.

Ardyn allowed himself to laugh out loud for a moment, then sobered quickly and said, "Yes, you've outdone yourself. But do not count your Chocobo chickens before they hatch. Goddess only knows what lies ahead and beyond that door."

His charge pouted, reverting back to his shy self.

"Let's go, Noctis must be near," urged the older man and went for the massive looking door.

The entrance surprisingly opened by itself, without any input or secret codes.

Quicksilver turned himself around, focused light blue eyes drifting over each and every corner of the entryway. "Don't you think that's strange?" he asked.

"I agree, this was too easy..." said Ardyn in a low voice while looking around.

Once their feet got through the entrance, the massive door slid close behind them and the inevitable occurred.

 **Warning! Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert!**

The intruders looked at each other and winced in tandem.

"What did you do?" asked Ardyn.

Quicksilver sulked. "Nothing, I swear!" he said.

"Did you touch something?"

"Hell no, I didn't! What about Your Highness? Shield broken or something?" Quicksilver retorted.

"No, still intact! It's not me either," Ardyn said, lips set to a scowl and looking offended by his charge. How could the younger man suggest such a thing; his powers were stable at all times.

 **Warning! Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert!**

The men bolted, running along the long and sterile hallways in search for a place to hide themselves in. Ardyn cursed their luck as they needed indeed some kind of next-level clearance to descend deeper into the underground base. So they opted at staring at the device screen in hopes that something might change and open the door again. But then something entirely else happened.

"Quicksilver, is that you?" asked a strangers male voice.

The intruders swiftly turned around to look at a tall, lean man approaching them. The man had very handsome features, dark-brown hair and light-green eyes. Ardyn guessed the man's age to be somewhere around his mid-twenties. He called forth his sword, ready to defend, but Quicksilver took his arm and shook his head.

"Please, don't... he's a friend," the blonde man said softly.

Ardyn dematerialized his weapon but remained alert, extremely suspicious of the stranger standing several feet away from them. This person right there was a high-level scientist and going by the academic distinctions and the Empire's honors embroidered on his pristine looking, white lab coat, the tall man must have been working here for years. This fool was tinkering with darkness, in further consequence of killing thousands of innocent people in service to the Empire and only for them to gain more insight into the daemon phenomenon. No, people like this stranger made Ardyn's fuzzy hair on his body immediately stand up. They made his flesh crawl with feelings of utter distaste and loathing. Were it not for his charge pledge of trust toward this man, Ardyn would have long since cut the enemy's throat.

"Vitus! You're alive!" said Quicksilver excitedly, his cheeks having turned beet-red at the sight of his _friend_.

The tall man _, Vitus,_ surprisingly looked close to tears, his wide footsteps gaining in speed until he brushed past Ardyn to fiercely embrace the younger man.

An Empire's high-level scientist embracing a discarded test subject.

 **Warning! Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert!**

Ardyn suddenly understood how a fifth wheel must feel. He lifted his hands up to his face and rubbed his tired eyes a few times.

Could somebody maybe explain to him, what in all seven hells was the meaning of this madness?!

 **...**

to be continued.


	5. Chapter Five - The Harvest

**Chapter Five - The Harvest**

...

The otherworldly being invited Noctis for a walk. Before they departed, Odin sent him a gentle glance and then the being's eyes mysteriously shied away. Noctis felt rather than saw a soft, long robe of light clothing his own wispy looking body. He looked down at himself but found he couldn't stare too long at his own hands; as though his fingers would instantly melt away like candles in the mere presence of flames. Noctis panicked a little, but found once more, that when he focused his awareness elsewhere, his fingers and hand suddenly reappeared.

"What is the meaning of _the Harvest_?" Noctis asked, resuming their conversation as they moved along, side by side, through the dazzling area of light.

Long strands of hair fluttered with each step the majestic looking entity took forward. Odin graced Noctis with another delicate looking smile and their eyes met briefly. Noctis had been in the stunning presence of the Astrals before and he had fought side by side with Ramuh, Titan, Leviathan, Shiva and Bahamut. And still... for some unknown reason, he couldn't come in terms with this being's astounding aura of respect, acceptance and unconditional love toward him. Genuine emotions of such a magnitude and intensity, well, Noctis truly couldn't remember ever having felt before. It made him want to bawl his eyes out and embrace everyone and everything with laughter and joy, all at the same time.

"As with all beings in nature, the universe is fluid and alive," Odin replied. The being motioned with his hand upward, the movement just as graceful as Odin himself was.

Noctis watched in growing fascination how some kind of a holographic movie started playing all around them. The area of light dimmed its brightness and allowed the incoming visual information to take place. The two men slowed down their comfortable stroll when a multitude of planets, stars and galaxies appeared before them. There was no ground underneath them, only the breathtaking vastness and significance of the glowing cosmos enveloping their energy bodies from all sides. Noctis silently took in the complexity and beauty of creation itself as he listened to the soothing voice of the otherworldly being communicating within his mind.

"Everything within the universe, seen and unseen, moves forward and upward through cycles of transformation, relentless in its pursue of reaching oneness and perfection. What your peoples might fear as cycles of death and rebirth, is but a natural outcome of evolution, a recurring phenomenon spread throughout all existence and the only means toward transcendence into a higher state of being. The planetary entity your peoples are living on, named Eos, has reached her own major cycle of transformation in the plane of third density. Eos is currently in the process of ascending to the fourth density level of existence. Hence, the Harvest is inevitable and encompasses the children of light, fifty one percent or higher in their polarity, joining Eos in her upcoming ascending process. Children of darkness on the other hand, ninety percent or higher in their polarity, shall be meeting their unpaid dues and descend to their own realm of existence within fourth density."

"So... there are two separate realms in the fourth density? Why the sudden separation? Good and Evil have always coexisted on Eos since the dawn of time, or am I wrong in my observation?" Noctis asked.

The being took an elegant step forward and initiated another movie to play in their surroundings. Vibrant colors formed into new visual formations and they chimed, their sounds reverberating beautifully all around them as various star systems zoomed in and out. Different foreign looking beings, who were living in all these different places - some living peacefully and in harmony with each other, while others were living in oppression and fear - were shown to Noctis.

After allowing the young wanderer a few moments to digest, Odin began to explain: "Each cycle of transformation allows the soul a new reflection of its own path of evolution. When the next stage of their sacred journey toward oneness and perfection arrives, at the advent of Harvest, the soul may choose between light or darkness. They may choose to either be of service to others or of service to themselves. Because of the tremendous change in frequency, souls of different polarities naturally separate from each other in order to further distill and refine their understanding of their choices among like-minded peoples; retreating inside their own realm of existence. This ongoing progression lasts until each soul reaches the awareness and purity necessary for sixth density understanding. That's when all children of darkness have no choice but realize, that in order of ascending and further refining their understanding of creation, love of other-selves must be fully understood and embraced. Only then, separation makes way to unity once more."

Noctis stood there, or rather, his feet floated in the air, as he watched the drama as old as time unfold in front of his wide eyes. Noctis honestly lost count by then; he watched thousands upon thousands of people on other star systems and galaxies, who were either helping each other and sharing among themselves, or in some other instances slaughtering another and greedily and selfishly accumulating wealth, land and power. Ultimately, no one gets to know true peace until they evolve to the place Odin originates from.

"What happens to the souls, who don't reach the criteria required to be harvested?" he asked, somewhat dreading the answer.

Odin didn't look at Noctis when he replied, instead observing his brothers and sisters going on with their lives in the lower levels of density. "There is no reason for concern. The souls not being harvested will continue their journey on other planets or dimensions of their choice, until they refine their polarity and until the next cycle of transformation arrives. Thus, leaving another opportunity open for them to be harvested."

Finally comprehension dawned upon Noctis. The universe wasn't mostly empty and it certainly wasn't dead in any sense of the word. It truly was alive. It had it's own, intricate and complex intention and purpose, and someone or something vastly intelligent must have created it. Nobody would be truly lost and in the end, everyone would be winners; even though the journey seemed infinite and never ending.

Having gotten a glimpse of all those wonderful beings existing and living on the fourth, fifth and sixth density shook Noctis to the core and he felt hot tracks of tears caressing his cheeks. Everything and everyone was connected. Everyone was equal and a part of something so much greater than he could ever fathom. Noctis has felt, seen and lived through some of the most precious and most painful situations in his short, thirty years of human life. But this, by far, was the most heartfelt, profound experience Noctis has come to known.

Odin, who until now only observed Noctis' reactions from afar, came closer and placed a hand on the younger soul's upper arm to soothe the agitated energy.

After Noctis got his bearings, he was able to clear his mind again. Though, he didn't want to let go of the acute compassion he felt toward all the people he's seen suffering and they were _not knowing why_.

"Now that I know of the Harvest, what exactly is my role in all of this?" he asked, still looking and feeling a bit harried by the revelation.

Odin's iridescent eyes were intent as the being spoke again. "Your task is to ensure your peoples wake up to the severity of the distortions that those continuing wars veil upon your world. The children of darkness are desperate to prolong their wealth, mighty power and mortal existence upon Eos and won't allow the natural progression of transformation to take place. It's not in our place to judge the decisions of your peoples, but we have heard their cries for guidance; we have heard Eos' plead for assistance. Time has come for the peoples of Eos to get off their knees and resolve the trauma and despair upon their world in order to move forward. Your task is to assist those children of light who seek guidance and for you to halt the children of darkness from defiling Eos' transcendence by further drowning and anchoring her essence to the third density plane of existence. Otherwise, this will bear disastrous consequences all over your galaxy."

Noctis furrowed his brows, trying to make sense of the information. "Will Eos, or parts of her, get destroyed if she doesn't reach the conclusion of her transformation?"

"Yes and no," Odin replied. "Eos, if still intact as a planetary whole, will reach fourth density with or without your peoples. To use an analogy of your world: the dog will grow old, die and be reborn; with, or without the fleas on his back. It's rather the potential of complete destruction that is of a true concern to us. The possibility of it happening in this timeline is worrisome and must be avoided by all means necessary."

"There's something I don't understand," Noctis said thoughtfully. "Ancient history spoke of the ancients, having perished because of the Infernian's rage upon humankind and leaving only destruction in his wake. Apparently, that was the reason why our civilization had to start anew. But now that you told me of Eos' ascension process, something just doesn't add up. What had truly happened in ancient Solheim?"

"The Infernian had been but a tool, his rage only a means to an end to the dubious achievements of the children of darkness. The intent has always been for the malady your peoples might know as Starscourge to spread and affect Eos' core itself. Young wanderer, you might think your saintly sacrifice has saved your peoples from that very darkness, but Eos is still to this very moment locked in the time/space continuum of third density. Despite the dawn having arrived upon your world, the future peoples of this timeline suffer greatly. Eos won't be able progressing the cycle of transformation, because, as we speak, the children of darkness have reached their ultimate directive: soul entrapment and soul enslavement upon your world and beyond."

Hearing this got Noctis instantly furious, the unimaginable worry for his dearest friends and family in the forefront of his mind. "How can that be?! I thought with the Usurpator and the Starscourge forever gone, people of Eos would finally be able of living in peace. Didn't I fulfill the prophecy? The Astrals didn't mention anything beyond that to me."

"The fourth density beings your peoples may call Astrals don't have insight into the higher planes of existence and therefore, they are sealed off from the information above their own rank and power. As a result, the prophecy they gained had been incomplete. The mind/body/spirit complex you may call Ardyn has been, just as the Infernian himself, nothing but another pawn on the chess board to the children of darkness. The Usurpator's thirst for revenge had been staged unbeknownst to him in ancient times," Odin stated.

"Bloody hell, that makes sense now...," Noctis whispered to himself. No matter how often he thought about it in the past, he couldn't find the answer as to why Ardyn would want to destroy his own lineage and simultaneously get rid of the Crystal and the benevolent Astrals. Unless... Ardyn had been lured, enticed and tricked into it by someone else: someone more dangerous with much higher and ulterior motives. By someone, who was capable of sharing sensitive information beyond the Astrals scope of awareness and directing their focus upon a rigged, half-baked revelation.

"Tell me about those children of darkness. Who are they?" Noctis needed to know.

Odin only smiled that delicate smile of his and said, "This information is yours to figure out, young one. We wouldn't want to infringe upon your free will."

Right, it didn't matter. Noctis would find those people and stop them anyway.

"How am I able to assist? I need clear instructions. I don't care who you are, this time around I won't let myself get blindly led into situations I have no control over. Tell me everything you can. Innocent people have died because of my past ignorance and I won't let that happen again," Noctis said firmly.

"Very well," the otherworldly being said and gave him a soft yet bright smile. "You have come far, young wanderer. Your past, present and future sacrifice shall not be in vain. Listen closely, this will be your first undertaking..."

And Noctis listened. It turned out there were other Astral-like beings currently on Eos. Odin told him some of them were higher beings of fifth and of sixth density and in their original homes they were known as Guardian Forces and Aeons, who have come forward to assist Eos. Unfortunately, their arrival had been foreseen by the dark forces and the Six have been intercepted, captured by an unknown technology, hidden away and then taken in brutal imprisonment by the children of darkness. Those Six from the foreign dimension await the arrival of the King of Kings to release them so that they can fulfill their own destiny and aid Eos in the Harvest.

The powerful Six are known in their current incarnation as Phoenix, the Reborn; Alexander, the Holy Magistrate; Eden, the Eternal; Diabolos, the Dark Messenger; Anima, Keeper of Lethe; and finally, Odin, the Reaver, himself.

All Noctis had to do was infiltrating the higher ranks of Solheim's secret Ascension Program to glean more information. As he watched Odin in front him vanishing into the light, Noctis could only hope that Ardyn and Quicksilver would agree to this clever plan as well.

 **...**

Noctis felt beat and worn-out when several hands pulled him out of the gooey substance. He endured the unfamiliar hands on him, which all seemed to have some kind of sterile gloves on as they prodded along his nude body and washed and dried his skin thoroughly with utmost care. The breathing apparatus finally came off, so he turned his head to the side and coughed painfully a few times until he acclimated to the sterile and humid environment and he was able to breathe normally again.

What were all these people doing to him? Noctis could hardly see his surroundings, his eyes bleary and sticky from the foreign substance, until someone took pity on him and gently cleaned his face with a damp, soft towel as well. Now able to open his eyes, he couldn't make out the people's faces inside their yellow-colored decontamination suits. They came in a group of four, while three of them apparently were tasked with cleaning him up while the fourth and tallest one stood at the side and made notes to record the procedures on some papers.

But then, one of the strange people to his left moved aside and Noctis could see they were not alone. He widened his eyes in recognition as he looked past the see-through wall of shatterproof glass. Solheim's leaders and generals had gathered in the observation room next to him to watch and follow the proceedings.

Why? What the heck was going on?

Noctis' physical body still wouldn't respond to his will to move, no matter how hard he tried. A paradox situation, seeing how the people inside the safety suits did have no trouble lifting his arms and legs and prodding all around him how they pleased.

When his eyes happened to scan the other side of the room, his eyes immediately fell on the sensory deprivation chamber. Noctis then felt himself getting sick to his stomach. The chamber was liquid-filled with the gooey mass of the Starscourge itself. Hell, the sight of the bubbly, dark mass alone made him ill. He could feel his heart beats increasing, he gasped for air as his chest began heaving heavily and dark spots appeared before his eyes; yep, he was close to fall unconscious from the shock.

The people inside their decontamination suits took notice of Noctis' struggles and they hurried to keep him conscious.

"Hurry up! We're losing him!" someone next to him said.

Various hands prodded around him and the breathing apparatus came back on.

But it was already too late, Noctis let oblivion taking over his body once more. His last thought was that he should probably get used of fainting like this all the time...

 **...**

"Our champion is finally awake, I see."

Noctis struggled opening his eyes, but at least he didn't feel sick anymore. He tried not to think about the thing that made him hyperventilate and faint in the first place. Wherever he was now, the room was silent and the bed he was lying on was soft. It was comfortably warm and dry and he had finally some clothes on. Noctis stubbornly felt like staying like this forever. Kind of a childish notion, but he liked to pretend he was a kid at the moment. At least back then he had known nothing of his dark future.

A husky, deep voice chuckled and Noctis felt the back of a man's hand stroking his cheek in gentle motions. That's when he opened his eyes and met light blue ones, staring curiously, almost reverently so, into his own.

"Why, aren't you a beauty? What did I ever do to deserve such a treasure trove like you?" the man almost breathed, his gentle caresses gliding slowly downward underneath Noctis' chin. The man gripped his chin a tad more forcefully when no answer came and he seemed content with the discovery that Noctis wouldn't fight back.

Noctis shuddered and that's when he realized his unkempt beard had been completely shaved. Those battle-scarred, long fingers stroked over his Adam's apple and then stopped further down at the seam of Noctis' new clothes. The man's fingers playfully opened two of the first buttons, boldly stroking the sensitive skin underneath the collar, but at Noctis' fierce glare the stranger retreated, looking fairly amused at Noctis' expense before taking a few more steps back.

Noctis observed the tall stranger, who had shoulder length, silver hair, a tanned complexion and clothes that Noctis could only identify as Solheim's military clothes. He was immediately reminded of a more healthy and vibrant looking Ravus as he watched the familiar looking mannerisms in front of him. This man was a general, he would recognize the design from Niflheim's past replica of that very same clothes. Albeit, this man's combat suit seemed far superior in terms of raw, defensive power. Back home, Ravus hadn't had that same dangerous aura surrounding him, of that Noctis was sure.

The silver-haired man smirked a little and tilted his head slightly to the side. "I could barely wait to meet you. You have no idea what dreadful things I had to do so that I would be allowed to meet you all alone."

Noctis couldn't move nor speak, so he stared intently at the man, hoping the older one would get the message. Who the hell was that?

"You want to know who I am?" Solheim's general asked playfully, but there was something darker lurking underneath his obvious facade.

Either way, Noctis wished he could roll his eyes or nod in confirmation. He always has known he wasn't capable of long or proper, intelligent or entertaining conversations, but bloody hell, did he have to lose his voice, too? Then, how in the world could he communicate his thoughts with others?

" _We can communicate like this, if you wish._ "

Noctis almost jumped out of his skin - if he could move, that is. " _You can read my mind?!_ " he asked via his mind, completely taken by surprise.

The general laughed out loud, his husky voice simultaneously reverberating through Noctis' mind. " _Don't look that surprised. Someone in this damn place had to learn the skill of telepathy. None of those old fools, who right now are on their way back to the Capital, would have had the patience necessary for it. Somebody reliable had to command our future army of daehumans, after all._ "

A cold shiver passed Noctis' body. " _Daehumans? Is this what I am now? Is this what you've done to me?_ "

"I wish I knew... your DNA transmutation astounded all of us. You're nothing like the mindless serial killer those old fools imagined you to become," the man said aloud, staring at Noctis as if he were a wondrous puzzle to be solved. A familiar look, which reminded Noctis somewhat of Ardyn when he had met him a few days ago...

" _To be entirely honest with you, I don't want to leave you here. Not at the mercy of those power-hungry madmen working around here. You seem far too valuable for their unethical experiments and examinations, wouldn't you agree?_ "

" _Why do you care? And stop beating around the bush and tell me, who are you?_ " Noctis asked, some foolish hope rising inside of him that he could get more information about Solheim's goals and in turn, getting more details about the secret Ascension Program.

The general's eyes grew larger. " _You know of the Ascension Program? How? Who told you?_ "

Crap, he forgot that the man could read his thoughts.

The general chuckled.

" _How about we trade answers? I'll only answer your questions if you answer mine,_ " Noctis said, fully aware of his own disadvantage but still willing to risk it.

"You're brave. You're the first one daring to make a deal with the devil himself," the general said aloud, his unnerving gaze almost penetrating Noctis' eyes. "Very well, people know me by the name of General Safay Roth."

That name sounded familiar. General Safay Roth... where had Noctis heard of that name before? And then he remembered. But he refused to deepen his thoughts about that topic and cleared his mind to the best of his ability.

" _Fascinating, you don't fear me, nor the people I do represent,_ " General Roth said. " _Now that you seem to know who I am, tell me who you are. You have intrigued me the moment I laid my eyes on you."_

How to answer? Noctis had to be very careful.

" _You may call me Noctis. This is all you'll get to know about myself until I know I can trust you,_ " Noctis said. He thought this was a plausible reply considering his current circumstances.

" _I honor the condition you stated. You're lucky you've fallen into my hands. Others wouldn't have been that understanding,_ " answered General Roth.

" _Why do I get the feeling, you're not completely loyal to Solheim's leaders?_ " Noctis asked.

The older man snorted. " _Your sublime ability of observation startles me. You're right, let's be open with each other. I'm not loyal to those fools, I never was. I follow my own agenda._ "

" _Which is?_ " Noctis asked, the embers of hope blazing much brighter than before.

General Roth quirked the corner of his lips into a light smile, and this time it was a genuine one. " _Why, finding out what Solheim is truly up to, of course. Like yourself, I'd like to know what's going on in the Ascension Program. Nothing good can come out of that one and I'd like to stop it._ "

For one moment, Noctis forgot how to breathe. So the famous General of ancient Solheim, the one whom Niflheim had idolized and regarded oh so highly as one of their own kind, had not been loyal to Solheim's corrupt leaders at all. Noctis felt like laughing at the sheer irony. The emperor of Niflheim, Iedolas Aldercapt himself, had named their Magiteck Engines after General Roth – SAF.

But any additional amusement that Noctis felt at that moment immediately withered and died. The general's next words froze him to the spot - which he kind of was anyway, but that wasn't the point he wanted to make.

" _Congratulations, you just managed to intrigue me even more. How about this: I'll bring us a cup of coffee and then I'll release you from the binding spell you're currently under. Seems like we will have a nice, long and proper conversation and for that you'll need to have your voice back, won't you? You mentioned wanting to polish your conversation skills, so how about we start today and you tell me about that riveting future you are supposedly coming from?_ "

 **...**

to be continued.


	6. Chapter Six - Taking Chances

**Chapter Six - Taking Chances  
**

* * *

" _Congratulations, you just managed to intrigue me even more. How about this: I'll bring us a cup of coffee and then I'll release you from the binding spell you're currently under. Seems like we will have a nice, long and proper conversation and for that you'll need to have your voice back, won't you? You mentioned wanting to polish your conversation skills, so how about we start today and you tell me about that riveting future you are supposedly coming from?_ "

 **...**

As promised, General Roth gave Noctis the means of movement and speech back and invited him into the man's temporary quarters for a light supper, consisting of sandwiches and a cup of coffee; a welcome pretense. After all, complete privacy, especially for the revelation and discussion of such fringe topics as Noctis' future timeline, was hard to come by at any of Solheim's highly guarded research facilities.

Noctis stared suspiciously at the calm looking General currently sitting at the table in front of him. He felt that strong, compelling impulse of sharing everything about his origins with this man, of all people. Where did that irrational impulse arise from? The compulsion to trust was obviously foolish and dangerous. But no matter how hard he tried to reason with himself, Noctis heart told him that he should confide the General into his secrets. He had to gather loyal allies if he ever wanted to fulfill his new purpose. Eos only knew, he might even feel that way because of General Roth's close resemblance to Luna's brother, Ravus...

The General poured his guest and himself some coffee and then relaxed back in his chair. "Finally some peace. We can talk freely now," the man said after several, silent seconds have passed.

"If what I am now is such an important asset to Solheim, won't you be questioned about inviting me to your private quarters?" Noctis asked, his movements cautious as he took a bite of his sandwich and a small sip of his coffee.

The silver haired man snorted amused. After connecting the light blue eyes to Noctis' darker ones, the corner of the man's lips quirked up. "No. It wouldn't be the first time I would invite people to my room at night," the General replied in that low, husky voice of his.

Noctis chewed on the fluffy bread and felt his face grow hot at the blatant innuendo. The conversation seemed to go in a direction he hadn't had any experience in, nor was this a direction Noctis felt confident treading.

The General smiled slightly at Noctis' bashful reaction and said, "Nothing wrong with invitations of that special kind. Everyone living here hungers for some semblance of comfort because life is extremely short nowadays. As handsome and captivating as you are, I'm sure you've had your own share of bed partners in the past."

Noctis coughed and swallowed down with difficulty, almost chocking on the coffee he sipped in a futile attempt to soothe his throat. What would _he_ know about bed partners? Back in his teens, he might have imagined a few times sharing sweet kisses with his beautiful childhood friend, Luna. And years later, he might have thought once or twice about what it would feel like to make love to the person he cherished with all his might. But he never allowed himself further dreaming or obsessing about things like that. After Luna's demise, the prophecy and the safety of Eos' people had been the only thoughts constantly consuming his mind. Adding to all that ten years of his young life lost while bound into immersion with the Crystal, with his fond memories of his family and friends as his only saving grace from loneliness and madness, only for him to return to a world in ruins and despair; returning to his people overcome by fear and hopelessness. No, there simply had been no room for romance or nights spent in frivolous activities with strangers. Noctis didn't feel any regrets about having missed out on those experiences. But... he would lie if he would say he wouldn't be interested to know how it would feel like if an opportunity would come along his way in the future.

Noctis was in no way desperate enough to take General Roth's badly concealed invitation serious. Not when he didn't know enough about the man and certainly not when Noctis had to save Eos once again. And so, Noctis only cleared his throat and chose not to comment on the General's underlying curiosity about his nonexistent sexual trysts.

"Right, let's cut to the chase," General Roth said, reading correctly into the tension of Noctis' shoulders and laying all intended teasing and playing aside - for the time being. "You're not native to this timeline. Who are you and why are you here?"

With that, Noctis regally straightened his back in his chair and met Safay Roth's eyes evenly. The air around him began to crackle with a hidden strength and power only the deities of old would have been able to control. The sudden serious change in Noctis' aura and demeanor made the silver haired man visibly shiver and narrow those light blue eyes at Noctis' growing, impressive presence.

"I'm Noctis Lucis Caelum, 114th and last King of the Lucian throne. I arrived from a timeline that's parallel to yours, which exists two thousand years into the future. I'm here to assist Eos and her people in the ascension process."

By the General's shocked silence, the man evidently hadn't been prepared for receiving such outreaching information.

"Allow me the same courtesy. Who are you and what are your intentions regarding your alignment with Solheim's agenda of war?" Noctis asked when no other reaction came from the speechless man sitting before him.

General Roth apparently needed a few moments to gather his wits. Leaning forward, the silver haired man crossed his fingers upon the table and regarded Noctis subtly with something akin to admiration and relief. "Officially, I'm known as General Safay Roth, High Commander of the Imperial Army. Off the record, I'm the last, rightful heir to Solheim's throne and my current high ranking position therefore the only means of providing my people long-term protection. The way Solheim operates nowadays is disquieting. There's an evil oriented Cabal hiding in the shadows, pulling the strings of our world; their knowledge and power not of this dimension. It's my duty uncovering those shadows which govern and direct Eos toward destruction and it's my goal of reclaiming my throne and nullifying this meaningless war."

It was Noctis' turn to be surprised. "It seems we follow similar goals. How much intel do you have?"

The silver haired man huffed dryly. "Enough intel to reclaim my throne. Not enough intel to secure my position in order to end the war and, unfortunately, not enough intel to expose and bring down the Cabal," the High Commander said, looking at Noctis expectantly. "'What about you?"

Noctis emptied his cup of coffee with a last sip and then served himself a glass of water while contemplating how much he should reveal. Like previously with Ardyn, something inside the fair man's determined looking eyes convinced Noctis laying it all out in the open. Roth seemed to be around the same age as Ravus. Noctis was reminded again of his old rival and of the tragedy of that man's former life. Back in the days, Noctis wished he could have gotten along with Luna's older brother. Like Noctis himself, Ravus had lost everything; his family, his kingdom and his life. What would Ravus' life have been like if Noctis' father had been open and honest with the Fleuret family from the start? They all would still have been alive long enough to watch the dawn arrive. Hence, Noctis was fed up with all the secrecy and manipulation. Hadn't he decided long ago that he wouldn't want to repeat the same mistakes his ancestors did?

"I have enough intel for you to reclaim your throne, enough intel to end the war and, fortunately for everyone, enough intel that could expose and bring down the shadows you have been speaking of," Noctis said, leaning back in his chair. "But to achieve all that, there will be many challenges along the road. I'm ready for the journey. The question is, are you?"

The High Commander held his breath, his attractive features changing as the man gawked somewhat unbecomingly at his time traveling guest. Noctis silently observed the man's breathing becoming a little bit more heavy and he silently watched how Roth stood up from the chair and paced in evident excitement around the spacious room.

Only after several minutes of mindless pacing did the man stop to look at Noctis. The sudden warmth, hope and reverence Noctis found in those eyes made his own mind spin. It was the same look Ravus would have had on his face if their former fate would have allowed them both the luxury of compassion and forgiveness toward each other. Noctis only hoped his feelings of a long lost camaraderie with the foreign yet familiar man standing before him wouldn't color his decisions and perceptions too much if they were to embark on this journey together. Especially with Ardyn on their side, who has been coloring Noctis' decision and perceptions from the very start...

When he thought about it, it was kind of eery how tightly intertwined Noctis felt toward the companions he has met along the way. Quicksilver, Ardyn and now Roth. Odin had mentioned the Gods have paved his way so far with so called _synchronicities_. Were they all destined to meet each other from the beginning? Was this the main reason for their sudden connection and similar goals?

"You being here seems far too good to be true..." Roth finally whispered, grasping a hold of the top of the chair in front of him and painting a picture of a dying man finally having found his lifeline to hang onto.

For how long had the man held on, fighting and protecting his people all by himself? Noctis certainly could relate to that.

Noctis sent him an understanding smile. "I assure you, I'm just as real as you are, High Commander."

Roth shook his head. "Please, call me Safay. I think we are now long past superficial formalities."

"The same. Noctis is fine," replied Noctis softly.

And that was the moment when time suddenly seemed to stop, the moment of something vital clicking into place in the same way Noctis experienced with Ardyn last time. Both of the men's eyes locked, both not exchanging any words and only watching each other with a familiarity that almost scared them. This time Quicksilver was not there to interrupt the process and this allowed for something magical to happen.

Noctis' eyes welled up with unshed tears when he realized what exactly was happening.

"From the moment I've met you, there was something about you that drew me in. I knew there was something special about you. I couldn't quite put my fingers on it. When I read your mind, blurry images of another life appeared in my mind... I felt as if we have already met, as if we already knew each other, but thought to myself _how could this possibly be the truth_?" Safay marveled, his wide eyes not leaving Noctis' face for one second. "Now I understand why."

"Ravus..." Noctis said softly, as if afraid the person in front of him would disappear if he uttered the name aloud.

What followed after would be impossible to describe accurately. They shared a sudden rapport with one another as the download of information and memories continued to take place. Past feelings of elation, happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, brotherhood and love charged the air around them and gravitated their welled up tears down their anguished looking faces. So many words had been left unsaid, so many emotions were left unexpressed. So many mistakes and misunderstandings left unattended and unresolved. They could read each others minds like an open book, both compelled by some invisible force to just go and embrace and hold onto each other for dear life. But there was too much history between them; too many raw, unprocessed emotions and sensations of old, which were holding both men back from openly displaying such feelings of affection and relief. Fate had once not allowed them to find that kind of closure which they both craved right at that moment...

When the intense connection faded, Safay sat down on his chair and tried to compose himself, drying the tracks of his tears off with his hand.

Likewise, Noctis rubbed his face dry and looked down at his empty cup. The situation turned awkward quickly. He didn't know how to continue the conversation. Safay remembering future memories of Ravus was an unforeseen event and because of that Noctis didn't know what to expect next.

After long minutes of contemplation, Safay was the one to speak first. The man aimed to lighten up the air around them. "I feel the need to profusely apologize to you. I've taken too many liberties with you and been too forward earlier. Sister won't leave me alone once we meet again in the afterlife. Her own brother, unknowingly molesting her betrothed and planning on further advances to win his affection and passion, imagine that. She will forever torture and haunt my hide and nobody will dare come to my rescue."

Noctis couldn't help it, he chuckled and then laughed out loud. It just came to him how funny the first half of his evening with Safay had been. The entire scene of how he met the man, the subtle yet intent touches on his skin, the innuendos afterwards and the badly concealed desire the man had thrown at him before their conversation turned serious; simply hilarious and it just begged to be shared with his friends back home.

Safay joined the laughter with soft chuckles of his own. "Have you at least met my sister before coming here?"

Talking about Luna in the afterlife seemed safe, so Noctis grasped at every straw Ravus' memories were willing to hold out to him. "Yes, I've met her. She helped us from the other side, twice. I probably have been able to talk to her more after I joined the Astral plane, but for some strange reason, I can't remember what has been said. I'm sure it was about something having to do with my mission here."

"I miss her greatly..." Safay whispered, his voice wavering.

Their eyes met fully, both sharing a past and future full of pain and longing.

"I miss her just as much," Noctis replied softly, finally admitting to his own feelings in front of Ravus. He was surprised at how easy that felt to do compared to his old self in the past.

Was the connection between Safay and himself still open? How unusual for them to be that emotionally open with each other...

"Noctis, you brought back the dawn. I've seen the events as if they happened right in front of my eyes as they have been downloading into my mind. You have accomplished what I've been unable to do on my own. I know it's not worth much coming from me but... I'm proud of you and immensely grateful for your sacrifice," Safay said, offering a soft, bittersweet smile.

Noctis sent a small, sad smile back. "Your words are more worth than you might realize. I understood far too late that everything I had accomplished had been a team effort. It's all thanks to everyone, yourself included, who had been bravely holding the daemons back and protecting people from behind the scenes, that I was able to fulfill the prophecy. I came to appreciate humanity as a whole. It's amazing what we all can do once we focus on our universals instead on what separates us from another. In this timeline, I wish to awaken people to that same potential."

Safay stared at Noctis and regarded him in a serious manner. "You have my full support. That those memories of my other life have reached me today, I consider a blessing. There is much knowledge and wisdom to be gained from mistakes done by a foolish man. Shall I accompany you back to the place where the infantry initially has captured you?"

"No, not yet," Noctis replied, looking thoughtfully around Safay's private quarters. "Can you bring me back to the sensory deprivation chamber?"

The silver haired man snorted in disbelief. "Why? You wish to do another mind-melt with the dark side? The mass of daemon essence almost killed you the last time you were there."

"Even though, it's worth the risk. It's the only way for me to find out the places where the other Astrals are being purposely kept hidden. I have to find and release them from their captivity, otherwise we'll have a scant chance of surviving the global events that are yet to come."

"What other Astral beings are you talking about? You mean, there are more Deities out there than The Six?" Safay asked, looking flabbergasted.

Noctis sighed, feeling a headache incoming. "There's so much about our true history we've had no way of knowing, so much lost knowledge that we all have been left in the dark about. We have many secrets to unravel and not enough time. Let's go, I'll explain about the other Astrals on our way down to the laboratory."

In an instant, Safay stood up from his chair and gathered his weapons and belongings, preparing himself to leave his quarters for good. But not before he turned around one last time and pierced Noctis back down on his seat with an unforgiving stare. "Promise me you'll come back alive. I'll hunt you down and kill you myself a second time in case you pull another foolish stunt like the one you did back at the citadel. Understood?"

Noctis smiled mildly to humor him. He had no intent to die this time. This timeline needed Noctis alive to reach its divine directive. Safay apparently has fully awakened to his future brother-in-law mode and Noctis never had been happier to comply to his former rival's protective orders. Finally, they would have their chance to reconcile and heal old wounds.

 **...**

 **Warning! Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert!**

Up until now, Ardyn considered his level of patience being of unparalleled dimensions.

 **Warning! Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert!**

He considered his graceful composure, his quiet endurance, his endless restraint, and whatever other crazy synonyms of excellence his garbled brain cells managed to spew forward, to be faultless; to be impeccable.

 **Warning! Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert!**

But as the minutes went on, Ardyn found himself getting rather tired of staring at Quicksilver and Vitus hugging each other while the men stayed blissfully unaware to their surroundings. Not to mention, the loud artificial voice blaring on and on gave him a serious migraine and Ardyn _yearned_ to have some peace and quiet. With each passing minute he worried himself more and more sick about Noctis' well being. It even went as far as imagining hearing a voice whispering insistently inside his head that he needed to hurry if he wanted to find Noctis in time.

"Are you two kindly done? You can resume your cuddling at a later time. Right now we have a rescue mission to carry out," Ardyn grumbled, his patience having reached limits he hadn't been aware of possessing.

If Ardyn wouldn't have been that ill-humored, he would have found it quite comical to watch how the younger men jumped apart, their faces all red and embarrassed as they avoided to look at each other.

 **Warning! Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert!**

"Cute, but can we move on now? Else I feel compelled to wreak havoc to these vile looking, sterile walls until I've reached my destination on my own," Ardyn said casually. He summoned his Armiger and began probing around along the walls for some weak spots.

Quicksilver rolled his eyes. "Please, don't exaggerate. Vitus can help us."

 **Warning! Intruder Alert, Intruder Alert!**

Ardyn turned his head to look at his charge with raised eyebrows, his expression of exasperation evident. "Wonderful. Then you can go ahead and tell _Vitus_ to deactivate the alarm this instant. I'm three seconds away from ripping that damn thing off the ceiling and using either the device or my own undergarments as a musical instrument. Trust me, you wouldn't want to hear the latter."

The blonde man hid his snort behind his hand. Quicksilver hadn't known that Ardyn was capable of being _that_ funny. Seems that grumpy Ardyn was a lot of fun to be around with and Quicksilver didn't want to miss a second of it.

 **Warning! Intruder Alert, Intru-**

"Follow me, we need to hide. The guards are coming," Vitus said after switching off the alarm on the device at the blocked door. The scientist used his clearance identification to open the door in front of them and then the man held onto Quicksilver's hand, guiding the younger one along the narrow hallways.

"Pray tell us, why did the guards need that long to look for the intruders?" Ardyn asked, suspicion lacing his voice as he kept pace with Vitus' long strides and speed.

Vitus looked over his shoulder, sending Ardyn a self-assured smirk. "Because I like to be prepared for any situation."

 _Never look a gift horse in the mouth_ was Ardyn's motto in life, so he couldn't argue with Vitus' foresight.

Once they reached the fifth floor of the basement, they finally found a safe place to hide themselves in.

Panting, Quicksilver slid down to sit on the soft carpet and tiredly leaned against the office wall. "Are we being monitored?" he asked somewhat breathlessly, looking around the dark place.

"No, I deactivated every device in advance. We are safe here, for now," replied Vitus, sitting down next to the blonde man.

"What is this place?" Ardyn walked further inside the office and inspected the foreign looking technology and crystal towers he found lined up against the walls.

Vitus smiled wistfully. "This is my old office. This is where everything started."

"Where everything started going to hell, you mean?" Ardyn asked dryly, not able reigning in his simmering anger anymore. "How many people have your kind tortured and how many have died by your dirty hands for the sake of _knowledge_? You have no idea how disastrous the consequences of your quest of enlightenment have been and will be for Eos and future mankind."

The scientist clenched his hands into fists, slowly standing up from the floor and turning to face the older man. "You are the one who doesn't understand what is at stake. Nobody living beyond these walls will ever understand the importance of these projects," Vitus said.

"What kind of importance are you implying? The _daehuman_ or the _ascension_ project? I don't care about the importance of those. Let me tell you that nothing can be more important than answering to Eos' desperate cry for help. Without our Goddess intact, humanity ceases to exist. But go on, entertain me, I'm dying to know what your kind is doing behind these walls all day," Ardyn retorted.

Vitus sighed out loud, his frustration palpable. He took off his spectacles and cleaned them furiously with a part of his lab coat. "Your arrogance and blind ignorance is astounding. I assumed, as the first heir to the Lucian throne, you would be more well informed and open minded as that. Eos is only a tiny speck in the larger scheme of this universe. These times we live in right now, _Your Highness_ , is a war of souls; a war that goes way beyond our understanding of good and evil; a war reaching far beyond time and space as we know it."

Ardyn swallowed the flare of his anger down but something kept pushing it upwards. "Are you even listening to yourself talking? A war of souls? Please, don't make me laugh. So this is the stuff the Solheim Empire is made of? How disappointing. All they ever did was spreading lies, indoctrinating and manipulating young, genius minds like yours into believing you are more important than everyone else. What's coming next? Solheim's leaders reveal themselves as the second coming of The Six? Or maybe your kind will be the chosen ones, ushering in the Golden Age for all of us," he said scathingly, not realizing the darkness inside of him slowly influencing his mind.

"Your Highness, what's gotten into you? You don't sound like your usual self..." Quicksilver said, worry lacing his soft voice.

For some inexplicable reason, Ardyn felt his unnatural anger immediately dissipate and then he felt ashamed of his own harsh words. He couldn't believe he'd been the one accusing Vitus of all these things without knowing the man and the inner workings of the scientists mind. "I...," he started to apologize, but was cut off by Vitus.

"Let's stop this. I don't have time arguing with a jaded, old man about the true meaning of our existence. I've been called down to the laboratory, it's urgent. Something bad has happened," Vitus said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. He looked at Quicksilver warmly for a moment. "You two wait here. Under no circumstances can you afford leaving this office."

Ardyn's charge gave a nod of understanding, but Ardyn himself couldn't agree. "We are going with you. I have a feeling this is about your newest test subject, Noctis. I'm the only one here who can heal and help afflicted people getting rid of the scourge. Take us to Noctis and don't make me repeat myself," he ordered, the threat in his voice unmistakable.

Vitus narrowed his eyes, assessing all viable options. The man ran toward the office cabinets and pulled out two sets of uniforms intended for test subjects. "Make haste and dress yourselves into these," the scientist said.

Ardyn cursed his luck. The design of his royal garments were simply too complicated. It took several minutes longer for him to get himself out of his outfit and to quickly jump into the new one.

"Yes, it's me," Vitus spoke, answering to the beeping call on his fancy looking bracelet. "I know, I'm on my way. I apologize for the delay."

"What's going on? What did they say?" Quicksilver asked, assisting his mentor with the final buttons of the shirt.

"Noctis has had unauthorized access to the sensory deprivation chamber. The last time he was in there, which had been authorized by myself, we carefully monitored his health and then we pulled him out of the chamber before his nervous system and heart rate could become critical. This time, however, he's in crisis. We have no time to waste."

 **...**

Several complicated turns later and a few floors deeper into the basement of the research facility, Ardyn was beside himself with worry.

The transparent door to the laboratory glided aside and Quicksilver paused in his steps, gasping, a horrified look crossing over his young looking face. For safety reasons, Vitus motioned for the younger man to wait outside.

That's when Ardyn's heart stopped beating. The sight in front of him made him tremble and fret with furry and despair. Dozens of people in yellow safety suits crowded over Noctis, who was lying lifelessly on the sterile examination table, his whole body covered with the remains of the murky, dark mass of the Starscourge.

"What are you fools doing? Get the hell away from him!" Ardyn shouted, pushing the scientists standing in his way aside until he finally reached the table in the middle of the room.

Two guards approached him and pushed him toward the exit. "Sir, you're not allowed to trespass the laboratory. Leave this place at once-"

"It's okay, Wedge, Biggs. He's Ardyn Lucis Caelum, heir to the Lucian throne," said Vitus. "He can heal the scourge."

Ardyn could hear the rush of blood in his ears; he could feel himself getting dizzy. The entire time his eyes wouldn't leave Noctis' lifeless looking body.

After Vitus had informed everyone present of the healer's status, Ardyn shook himself free of the men's grasp and bolted to close the gap which has been separating him from reaching Noctis. His hands shook badly as they gently touched and caressed the beautiful, pale face of his comrade; of his friend; of his secret object of warm affection.

Had Ardyn arrived too late? No, Ardyn could _not_ accept that. He would _not_ allow Noctis to leave his side. _Not_ when he found somebody complementing his own unique personality that well. _Not_ when he found somebody so special, so extraordinary, who seemed to understand Ardyn better than he understood himself. And certainly _not_ when he finally found someone, who not only agreed to join his sacred quest, but someone so precious, so treasured, with whom Ardyn couldn't help but fall in love at their first meeting.

"Get out," he said, waving the people standing around him away. "I want everyone to get the hell out!" he shouted one more time, desperate for privacy because he knew every second counted and that this time he couldn't escape the side effects of their mysterious connection. If Ardyn intended to use his full powers of healing on Noctis and wished to get rid of the scourge completely, they had to be alone. Ardyn didn't care about embarrassing himself in front of all these strangers. He only wished to protect Noctis' dignity and keeping him away from prying eyes and future gossip.

Thankfully, Vitus understood the message and ordered all guards and scientists to leave the laboratory at once.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Ardyn leaned against the side of the examination table, carefully placing his trembling fingers around Noctis' cold and pale face while touching the younger man's forehead with his own. He closed his eyes and focused on the Crystal's healing force to travel out of his heart. The beautifully glowing, sacred geometric patterns haven't pierced his patient's heart, yet the telltale tingling of arousal licked along Ardyn's skin already. This time, he was prepared. The side effects didn't catch him off guard and the growing sensations of sexual excitement didn't deter him from his purpose.

But Ardyn hadn't been prepared for the full onslaught of desire rocking his rigid body once his healing powers gently perused and flowed through the blood vessels of Noctis's heart. He hadn't been ready for the object of his warm affection to moan sinfully and to open those gorgeous blue eyes to look into his own. And hell, Ardyn hadn't been ready for those lean arms to embrace him so strongly and he sure as hell hadn't been prepared for Noctis to eagerly catch his lips into a shy yet bold kiss.

Ardyn felt drunk with elation, ecstasy and sheer joy of Noctis being _alive_. Would he have been of sound mind, doubts would have appeared and made him question his own actions. But as he was filled with all these overcoming emotions toward Noctis, the wonderful connection grew between them and made it so hard to think about anything else but sharing the pleasures of healing that took place. Another delicious sounding groan escaped the man below him and the first timid nibbles on his lips suddenly turned into a messy dance of throbbing, open-mouthed kisses. Eos, Ardyn thought he could lose himself forever into Noctis' taste and feel of lips. The small, enticing sounds the object of his affection made, as they kissed passionately and they both gained precious experience, were exquisite and the heat of arousal pulsed and pulled relentlessly around the lower half of his body. Still, the healer fought against giving in to the sensual indulgence completely.

On and off his mind wavered, his tormented body cried out for release, but Ardyn stubbornly prevailed. His focus was fully on absorbing the calamity of the scourge inside himself. Noctis didn't make it easy, though. The younger man's curiosity has been awakened and those feverish, sneaky hands have wandered underneath his thin, button-down shirt, eager to please while exploring Ardyn's blank canvas of skin underneath the flimsy fabric. Colors exploded behind his closed eyes, painting pleasurable sensations upon his touch-starved upper body and Ardyn moaned sensually, against his better judgment. Why was Noctis allowing any of this? Why was Noctis indulging Ardyn with such an abundance of intimate sensations?

Not being one to miss the opportunity, Noctis suddenly dived deeper into their impassioned kisses when Ardyn moaned a second time. And then, the breath-taking man below him invited Ardyn into a heated round of tongue-kisses and those lean, warm arms around him traveled down, and down, and then pulled Ardyn properly on top of Noctis' body. Lean but strong legs made room for his lower body to meet Noctis and hell, that's when Ardyn knew he was lost; all thoughts completely wiped out of his mind. They writhed and groaned and kissed and rubbed their arousals against another, the salty, tasty tang of fresh sweat mixing with their saliva as they continued to pleasure each other, was madly addicting. The wondrous feelings of ecstasy fueled their mutual desire, until everything became too much, too intense and too _perfect._

* * *

To be continued.


	7. Chapter Seven - Past Shadows

**Chapter Seven - Past Shadows  
**

* * *

( _flashback_ )

Noctis followed Safay along the familiar looking, long hallways with a feeling of dread in his stomach. Even after having gained ten years of maturity, which were spent in some serious self-reflection, even after his sacrifice and the peculiar death experience that followed after, Noctis couldn't help it, his instincts told him to keep watching his back for MT foes, who potentially could appear out of nowhere and attack him. He thought he had overcome all of that trauma. It was unbelievable how much his past experiences at Niflheim had colored his perception of his surroundings. Noctis _knew_ that he could trust Safay, he _understood_ that he was powerful enough to keep himself safe, regardless of the hidden dangers lurking inside the Solheim research facility. But then... why in the world couldn't he stop the jittery reaction from reaching the marrow of his bones? What was there to be afraid of?

"Are you still adamant about going into that cursed chamber?" asked Safay as they passed another gateway and walked deeper into lower parts of the basement.

"It's the only option we have to get some answers. You know we can't pass this chance up," Noctis replied.

The rigid stance in Safay's shoulders spoke volumes of the man's misgivings.

"Ravus, stop worrying about me. Everything will be fine."

Noctis' former rival sighed. "What about the other Astrals you mentioned? Are they on our side?" Safay asked, changing the topic.

"Right. Odin, one of the Astrals, told me they have come to aid Eos. They are six in number and originally not of this dimension. The Cabal intercepted their advent and captured them before they could reach us," Noctis said.

Safay stopped in his tracks to look at Noctis with a frown. "They were captured? How? To my understanding, the Astrals are invincible, their knowledge and power absolute."

Noctis slowed down and rubbed his forehead in search for the right words to convey. "According to Odin, apparently not. Out there exists an infinite plethora of universes, higher dimensions and densities; each one still unknown to us. The Astrals must have been captured by someone who has access to higher knowledge. By someone, who is powerful enough to restrain their overwhelming energies."

"The implication of that is quite disturbing. I knew the dark side would be powerful, but if the Cabal's knowledge exceeds ours to such an extent, what options do we have? Seems like they will always be a step ahead of us," Safay said.

"Not necessarily. I'm sure that the Astrals didn't expect the interception, else the Cabal wouldn't have succeeded that easily. According to Odin, these Astrals are more powerful than The Six. The moment our strategy to release those higher beings from their captivity is in place, the Cabal will be dust. Somehow, whoever is in charge must have anticipated their arrival from the start, hence the early intervention."

The High Commander looked intently into Noctis' eyes, a sudden realization striking the man. "And yet, against all the odds, here you are. The dark side didn't anticipate _your_ arrival, did they?"

Noctis smiled slightly in response.

"You're dead set on forging a covenant with those powerful Astrals," Safay concluded.

At that, Noctis smile got only wider. He had forgotten how quick Ravus' mind worked. "As far as I can see, our side has the advantage of surprise in this battle. And this time, I'm prepared. I know what I'm doing. We'll forge an alliance with everyone courageous enough and willing to change the status quo. This will be another team effort to save Eos."

Safay gave Noctis a rare smile of his own and then said: "I should stay here, after all. Hiding in plain sight among the enemy. That's how I can gather more information and my assistance would be of a higher value to you."

"Absolutely out of question," Noctis said firmly. He touched the man's shoulder and squeezed it in a gesture of fondness. "You think, after everything you've been through last time, that I would condemn you to the same fate and let you down again? Not if I have anything to say about it. This time, we'll see this through; together, side by side. In unity, there's strength. Promise me you won't go after the Cabal all on your own."

Safay looked extremely touched by Noctis' words and exhaled sharply before turning away from him. The voice wavered a little as his former rival spoke. "All right. You have my word."

Noctis patted Safay on his upper arm and nudged the man to resume their path. "Thank you. Let's go, the chamber awaits us. This place gives me the creeps and only brings back bad memories."

...

Once they reached the laboratory, Noctis almost regretted wanting to get back inside the sensory deprivation chamber. The dark, murky mass of scourge behind the glass of the massive looking container called out for him and it looked just as inviting as a Malboro's kiss.

Noctis shuddered.

"If anything goes wrong, I'll pull you out of the chamber immediately," Safay said, standing a few feet away in his safety suit while monitoring the devices connected to the chamber.

Even though Ravus' close presence reassured Noctis and calmed his inner feelings of dread, he couldn't shake them away entirely. Some part of him has changed irrevocably. And it was exactly that foreign part in him that caused all those feelings of nausea and irrational fear to grow. In order to get more information about the Astrals exact whereabouts, Noctis had no other choice than to surrender to the Starscourge's calling.

He completely undressed and sat down on the small platform, which then ascended higher up and came to a stand above the opening of the container moments later. Noctis was surprised to find himself suddenly thrilled - instead of fearful. His body urged him to merge with the scourge; to become one with it. The calling from the otherworldly mass got so strong that he hastened with the placement of the breathing apparatus over his nose and then closed his eyes before diving in.

...

There was no one to greet him when Noctis' awareness arrived on the other plane of existence. However, he didn't find it as difficult as last time to adjust to the blinding light around him.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" Noctis asked, looking around the vastness of encompassing light in hopes someone would appear and answer to his presence.

It was only the long, white robe of light that appeared and enveloped his body for modesty reasons. "At least something," Noctis said to himself amused.

When nothing else happened, Noctis took his first step forward. With his purpose in the forefront of his mind, he walked in firm determination toward the endless, white horizon, all the while quietly listening and trusting in his intent and intuition to guide him to the right place.

And then, all of a sudden, his surroundings changed. The bright light slowly blurred into the most magnificent patterns of color, until everything came to a halt and the plane itself transformed into a painfully familiar looking place.

Noctis held his breath. He knew this place.

"Noctis," a soft, female voice called out and he turned around.

Shining soul crystals and delicate petals of sylleblossoms floated down from the sky. The field of the sweet smelling flowers extended as far as his eyes could reach and they caressed his naked feet as he made his way toward the beautiful woman waiting for him with her arms held wide open.

"Luna...," Noctis whispered, quickening his pace and not daring to blink his eyes even once in fear his beloved childhood friend would disappear again - like so many times she had in the past.

"Noctis! How good to see you!" Lunafreya smiled brightly and closed the last distance between them to envelop Noctis into a tight and loving hug.

Noctis returned the affectionate embrace and burrowed his face into her waving, long hair tenderly. Finally, they were able to be close to another. They stayed like this for a long while, just _holding_ and _feeling,_ and silently rejoicing in their temporary reunion.

Burning tears of sorrow and happiness mixed together as they fell down on Noctis' cheeks and he felt them soaking into his beloved white dress. It was such a strange feeling to have all his senses that focused and alert on every detail that were happening around him. This was beyond anything he had ever felt back when he was trapped in his physical body. Luna's ethereal glow, her gentle, warm and safe embrace, her elegant fragrance and graceful aura... For one little, short moment, Noctis wished he could stay with her like this forever. But he wasn't sure if she would allow that, not after he had let her down in the past...

"Shh... you're blaming yourself again," Luna said, stroking his hair fondly. She pushed him back a little to look up to his anguished looking face.

"Forgive me," Noctis whispered, his eyes closing because looking at her gentle smile hurt a lot. He didn't deserve that smile.

"Look at me," she said softly. Delicate fingers came up and Noctis felt how she dried his tears with her thumbs and tender strokes.

When he refused to open his eyes, her warm voice became laced with fierce love and compassion. "Silly... it's not my forgiveness you're looking for, it's your own. You already have mine, seeing as there's nothing to forgive; there never was."

More tears fought their way down, but Luna didn't let them escape. She leaned forward and gently kissed his tears away, one by one. By then, her unconditional love felt so overpowering that Noctis' sobbing became uncontrolled. His arms embraced his beloved one more time and he squeezed her more firmly to himself. He realized that he had had that emotional release long coming. And for once, he didn't struggle against it. Inside this sacred space he was safe to cry openly; Luna wouldn't judge.

His memories slowly trickled back and then Noctis understood that he didn't dwell in the afterlife. Phoenix, the powerful being that Odin had spoken of, had brought him back to life after his ethereal body had dissolved along with the ring of his ancestors. He was meeting Luna for the first time after his own death. He hadn't had the chance to heal and recuperate among the presence of his family and friends. No wonder his emotions were so raw, in such turmoil and out of control...

Luna gently pulled Noctis down with her as she sat down on the soft sylleblossom field and she cradled his trembling body comfortably against her. She watched him, quietly smiling and holding him close while her love permeated his very soul and provided a safe haven for him. These precious moments of serenity were wholly dedicated to him and she would give him all the support and all the time he would need to overcome his own shadows of his past...

...

Noctis had lost track of time. He had no idea how long he had been lying on that beautiful flower field, with his head resting cozily on Luna's soft lap. The painful bursts of emotional release had long since subsided and the tracks of his tears have disappeared.

He sighed blissfully. He hadn't felt that lighthearted and unburdened in a long time. Floating sylleblossom petals tickled his face and he felt almost blissed out from the powerful yet mild fragrance ensnaring his senses. In addition to the sheer tranquility of that mystical place, Luna's skillful fingers gently fondled his scalp and massaged his temples, accompanied by the occasional, soft caress of her hands against his face. It didn't hurt anymore to meet her lovely, light blue eyes. He looked up at her, eagerly memorizing her mature, dazzling appearance and he offered a genuine, peaceful smile of his own.

"Thank you," he said after awhile. He felt a little shy, now that she had seen him at his weakest. "I hadn't realized how many feelings of guilt I had been carrying along with me all this time. I think, I'm good now... never felt better, actually."

Luna looked delighted. "You are most welcome. I feel blessed that we were finally able to meet properly. My innermost wish has been fulfilled."

Noctis' face softened some more and he lifted his hand to caress her soft cheek. He propped himself up on his elbow, so he could get closer to her, and then, he tilted his head a little and pressed a chaste kiss on her full lips. Noctis then retreated, chuckling at his own, bold move and whispered to her, "Sorry, I just wanted to do that for a long time and-"

She silenced him and gently captured his lips again with her own. They shared a short, proper kiss, but it didn't take them long until they let go of each other. Both laughed softly at the sudden insight and they looked at another lovingly, sharing a mutual understanding after that second kiss.

"This... was never meant to be, am I right?" Noctis asked, feeling somewhat lost. He came to the realization that he loved Luna with every fiber of his being, only not in a romantic sense as he was lead to believe until now.

"It might not have been meant for us," she replied, placing another kiss on his forehead, "But this doesn't mean I love you any less."

Noctis laid down again and rested his head back on her lap. He took her delicate looking hands between his own and brought them down to his lips, kissing her soft skin. "I love you as well, Luna. Always."

"Always," she echoed, her smile never wavering.

He wanted to enjoy their pleasant solitude for much longer, but he knew he was here for another reason as well. "I've a notion, that you have something important to tell me. Now would be a good time as any," he teased playfully.

She laughed softly, surprised at his ability to see through her true motives. "Guilty as charged. Your intent was loud and clear, so I came to you to answer your questions."

Noctis sent her a grateful smile. "You have forged several covenants with Astrals before and you're the only one capable of teaching me the rites to achieve the same. How does it feel like? What do I need to learn?"

"You might be relieved to hear that you won't need to follow any ancient rites to receive the Astrals blessing. Although, their skills will provide you with a formidable challenge and they won't be as easy to conquer as Titan or Leviathan had been in the past. The mastery of their terrific powers is something you'll have to figure out on your own," she replied.

He frowned a little. "I see, it won't be easy then... And what about their location? Where are they held captive?"

Luna smiled mysteriously. "Why, in the future, of course."

"Huh?" Noctis asked, quite eloquently at that.

She touched the tip of his nose playfully. "At example, I'm sure you remember the Daurell Caverns, or the Costlemark Tower?"

Noctis stared at her nonplussed. "Yeah, but what does this have to do with anything?"

His beloved friend giggled. "And here I thought you've figured my motives out. Seems you're not as bright as I thought," she teased.

"Hey! How dare you question my genius brain," Noctis chuckled at Luna's audacity and tickled her in revenge.

She tried to avoid his playful attack, gasping and smiling at the same time. "What if I told you, that the Astrals can only be released by traveling back into the future?"

Noctis' hands froze in mid-air. "Wait, you are serious?"

Luna nodded her head.

"Do I... get the chance to see the world and the people that I love one more time?"

Her expression sobered quickly. "You are allowed to observe, but you're not allowed interacting with them. They belong to a different timeline and interfering with their lives would be considered infringement upon their free will."

Noctis looked down at their joined hands, a wistful smile gracing his lips. "That's more than I ever dared to hope. I just wish to see with my own eyes that my friends are well."

Luna closed her eyes, feeling her way into the timeline that they both have had in common in their former lives. She sighed softly and caressed Noctis' fingers to get his attention. "Out of all the people who are grateful toward you and think about you regularly, Ignis, Prompto and Gladio shine out the most; they are the ones who miss you and think about you the most."

He glanced up at her with wide eyes. "You can see them?"

"No, but I can feel their strong emotions and I'm aware of their thoughts..."

Noctis silently observed the flitting expressions on her graceful face, eager to know more. But instead, Luna opened her eyes and looked far into the distance. She seemed troubled by something she'd seen.

He wanted to know what was going on in her mind, but he wasn't sure it was his place to ask. So he inquired further about the Astrals. "You have given me two locations, Daurell Caverns and Costlemark Tower. Where are the others?"

Luna shook her head to clear her mind, focusing back on the present. "The others are at the Balouve Mine, Crestholm Channels, Tempering Grounds and Pitioss," she said softly.

Taking a deep breath, Noctis turned to his side and snuggled closer to the warmth of Luna's body. "I clearly remember Costlemark Tower having been a pain in the butt to clear. But Pitioss? Really?" he groaned pitifully.

He could hear her chuckling.

"At least, tell me which Astral is held captive at Pitioss?"

"Odin, the Reaver," Luna replied. "He's been waiting for you. I suggest you follow his call first."

Noctis sighed softly and then he stood up from the ground. He offered his hand to Luna and helped her up on her feet. "Thank you, Luna. I'd love to spend more time with you, but I feel my time has come to leave," he said, gently caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.

She pulled him close and hugged him one last time. "It was my pleasure, Noctis. I'll keep watching over you. Don't be a stranger, you hear me?"

"I won't. I'm grateful for everything. See you soon...," Noctis whispered to her affectionately.

And just like that, the flower field blurred and the colors became darker and murkier, reminding Noctis again of the scourge, and he held tightly onto the lasting image of his dearest childhood friend until his awareness completely faded away...

 **...**

When he came back to his senses, it took Noctis a minute or two to adjust to the physical plane.

"..itus, it's me. Get your team, I need you at the chamber! Noctis doesn't respond to the first aid I had administered!"

First aid? Noctis was confused by what he heard. What did Safay mean, and why was the man that agitated?

Noctis touched Safay's arm to show him that he's all right and was surprised by his hand becoming translucent and simply going through the man's body instead. "What in the world?!" he gasped, pulling his hand back as if having been severely burned.

"Vitus, where on Eos are you? I don't think I can keep Noctis alive any longer. I don't care what kind of rare specimen you're dissecting right now, get your arse down here! That's an order!"

Safay looked livid, bustling around the room and moving swiftly between the monitoring devices and the examination table where Noctis' body was lying.

Noctis' awareness switched and then he watched his own, unconscious body from above the room completely fascinated. So this is what a near-death experience felt like. No wonder Safay couldn't hear nor see him. He was phased out from the man's reality, floating somewhere between the third dimension and the Astral plane. These were good news, his physical body was still alive - albeit barely.

"Eos, your skin feels so cold. Stay alive, please," Safay said, leaning over Noctis' body and stroking his forehead, face and chest gently with a warm, damp towel. The man's hands were shaking. "We have many curatives in stock. That's why I'll be in the next room, looking for something that might be of help to you. I won't be long. Hold on a little longer. The doctors and scientists will come to your aid at any moment now..."

Touched by Safay's consideration and care, Noctis floated down next to his friend. He tried to reassure Safay that everything was okay. Noctis could feel how his material body bravely fought to stay alive and he trusted in his own will and strength not to leave this world prematurely.

When Safay left the room, something else got Noctis' attention. Someone with the same magical signature as his own was getting closer to the laboratory. Noctis' unconscious body, the daehuman part of him, could feel that. And the daehuman became _thrilled_ the closer that person got to him. It was the same sensation that he had felt before he dived into the mass full of scourge. Was this other person a daehuman, like himself? Why did he look forward to meet this person that much?

All of a sudden, a myriad of people in safety suits burst through the entrance, and then everyone started talking all at once. Some took an immediate position around Noctis and others stopped to look at the monitoring devices, giving orders according to the information they have gained. The doctors around him placed their medical equipment on the empty space at the table, connecting his arm to an IV drip and giving him various shots to boost his functions and keep him alive. They conversed in a language that was unknown to Noctis while the people checked the pulse on his body, prodded everywhere, cleaned him up and then waited for further instructions.

Another group of people joined them shortly after and that's when Noctis' awareness was pulled back to one special person in particular.

Ardyn.

The daehuman part of him was absolutely elated. This must have been the person Noctis had been looking forward to meet again.

Why was the man even here? Had Ardyn come to his rescue? The thought pleased Noctis more than he was ready to admit to himself. He felt relieved to see the man was well.

"What are you fools doing? Get the hell away from him!"

Noctis watched Ardyn forcefully pushing his way toward his unconscious body. The man looked fierce and, dare Noctis think it, strikingly handsome, in those simple looking, black clothes. The thin fabric of Ardyn's button-down shirt clung to the man's body almost like a second skin and that didn't leave much to his imagination. He couldn't help but wonder why the man didn't dress like that in the first place? Ardyn could certainly learn a thing or two from Gladio, were those two to ever meet, Noctis decided. He found it funny, how and where his thoughts would wander off once he was out of his physical body. Being temporarily freed from the shackles of his body and the defensive walls which came along with it, Noctis guessed his energy body's priorities were understandable. In this ethereal state, he could completely separate this version of Ardyn from the evil one from the future timeline. He could clearly see the potential which this version of the man possessed. And Noctis liked what he saw right now

The daehuman inside him yearned for this man's closeness.

So Noctis found himself floating closer to Ardyn and observed the man's silent interaction with his physical body from above. The look in Ardyn's eyes could only be described as deeply affectionate and Noctis was taken aback by what he saw. Trembling hands traced Noctis' face as if he were a cherished treasure that had to be handled with utmost care.

Did Ardyn harbor feelings of attraction toward him? If so, when did _that_ happen? Noctis felt his ethereal body flush with heat when he realized that the previous flirting attempts from Ardyn must have been genuine. Noctis felt flustered and shy and honestly didn't know how to handle that sudden insight.

Ardyn's expression turned more and more fierce and determined the longer the man was by his side. "Get out," Ardyn said to the people in the room. "I want everyone to get the hell out!"

 _How curious_ , Noctis thought. Why would Ardyn send all these people away?

After they were left all alone, Noctis watched Ardyn lean in and connecting their energy vortexes together. Healing light flowed from the place where their foreheads touched, flowing further down to the area of his throat and then staying and focusing on his heart. Besides using potions for healing purposes, Noctis has never had any experience in the healing arts. From the outside of his body, he could clearly follow the glowing light of healing as it magnified beautifully and spread quickly along the weak meridians of his material body. Seeing Ardyn's powerful healing magic at work was truly a sight to behold...

His observation and thoughts were interrupted by a sudden flare of unbearable heat of pleasure and Noctis had a strong urge to get back inside his physical body. He was weak against the forceful pull upon his umbilical cord of energy. Sexual arousal interpenetrated his ethereal senses and it was so intense that he found himself moaning, resulting in his consciousness waking up in an instant, his wide opened eyes staring up at Ardyn's handsome and completely focused face with open wonder. His body burned, hungered, yearned, and at that point, Noctis didn't care about his defensive walls any longer. For once, he didn't want to think about the past he had once shared with this man, this was a new beginning. He wanted to bask in this new experience. So his arms came up all on their own and he pulled Ardyn close and _kissed_ him. Noctis gained confidence when Ardyn returned his shy kisses and he groaned in pleasure, tilting his head and opening his lips to deepen the connection between them.

Kissing the man above him was a revelation of its own kind. Luna's kiss earlier, even though it had felt nice, hadn't made his toes curl like that, nor did it made him desire more of the same. The arousal from the searing heat that Ardyn and himself shared became too much and kissing the man didn't even seem close enough to quench the molten heat growing inside of him. So he took matters into his own hands and pushed them underneath Ardyn's thin shirt. The feeling of warm, soft skin felt thrilling and Noctis eagerly explored, stroke and caressed every inch within his reach. Well defined yet lean muscles flexed underneath the palm of his restless hands and Ardyn's sensuous sounding moan was _so damn_ satisfying to hear.

By then, Noctis _needed_ more of Ardyn. So he used his chance and invited the man into further impassioned tongue-kisses, his mind blank with blinding pleasure while he pulled on the body above him to lay down on top. With that, Noctis surrendered fully to the demands of his five senses, pushing up his pelvis to feel more of the man's searing heat against his own. Ardyn's focus finally seemed to snap and Noctis melted underneath the man's fervent hands into a puddle of pure, unadulterated lust. They writhed like teenagers and groaned and kissed and caressed each another fervently. The tasty, salty tang of fresh sweat mixing with their saliva, as they continued to pleasure each other, was madly addicting. The wondrous feelings of ecstasy fueled their mutual desire, until everything became too much, too intense and too _perfect._

 **...**

( _present_ )

Moments later, Ardyn made sure not to crush Noctis with his weight, panting heavily and smiling softly at his now sensual object of his ever growing affection. Noctis returned his smile, albeit more shyly, and he gave themselves a few minutes to calm down from the erotic rush their mysterious connection had been responsible for.

Ardyn took advantage of their solitude and eagerly took in the beauty of the younger man under him. Gone was the unkempt fluff of beard; enticing, flushed cheeks were glowing on pale skin and those red lips - stimulated into fullness by their previous shared kisses - fought simultaneously for his attention. Noctis had a natural charm and a radiant allure, by which Ardyn was entirely and helplessly ensnared. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't escape that man's impressive amount of magnetism and charisma.

"Who are you really...?" he whispered to himself, tracing and worshipping Noctis' soft lips with his finger tips in slow, tantalizing circles. He felt tempted to lean in and sample another taste of those full lips one last time before he called Vitus and his team back inside, but the panic in those wide, gorgeous blue eyes made him falter.

"Ravus! No!"

Searing pain hit him like a lightning bolt and the heavy punch that followed after tumbled his body like a powerless doll against the far wall. Ardyn had hit his head hard at the impact with the unforgiving surface of metal and he groaned painfully, overcome by dizziness and nausea. A hot stream of fresh blood trickled down the side of his face. Whoever this man was, he wasn't someone easy to deal with.

"How in The Six' name did you find this place? Did you think you could just walk in there and end Noctis' life without any resistance?"

Ardyn tried opening his eyes to see who this man was. Did the aggressor work here? Was he somebody high-ranking? Noctis seemed to know this man. Blurry shapes of black and gold came closer, and this time, he dodged the kick that was aimed at his stomach.

"You can't escape my wrath. I couldn't care any less about the two thousand years of your exile. You deserve eternal hell fire," the man spat.

Ardyn dodged another attack and used the short time that he had to heal himself.

"You are beyond evil. A vicious, calculative and twisted bastard. _You_ are responsible for killing my mother, _you_ have murdered my sister in cold blood and _you_ have made Noctis' life a living hell! What else do you want?"

Exile? Eternal hell fire? What in the world was this man talking about? He didn't murder anyone, lest made Noctis' life a living hell. Ardyn was sure he would remember would he have been responsible for such atrocious deeds.

Right when the aggressor raised a sword against him, Noctis appeared between them and parried the attack. "That's enough, Ravus. Calm down, this version of Ardyn is on our side," the younger man said.

"Noctis, have you taken leave of your senses? Look at him, this king of deamons has destroyed everything you ever held dear! Don't tell me you have already forgiven his sins," Ravus' hissed furiously, the man's eyes pleading with Noctis to get aside.

"I have forgiven yours, Ravus," said Noctis softly.

At that, the other man's unbridled anger seemed to deflate.

Both men shared intent looks full of meaning. If Ardyn wouldn't know it better, he would say the men could read each others minds. Ardyn seemed safe, for now. His head pounded viciously with pain, his breathing was ragged, but he mustered up his last shreds of dignity to complete the healing process.

Vitus and his entourage gatecrashed the frivolous festivities and Ardyn decided this was the time when all this madness would come to an end.

"Why don't we all sit down, preferably with a cup of delicious tea in our hands, and discuss our issues in a calm manner, like all grow men do?" he asked.

Everyone turned their heads to look at him.

And Ardyn _savored_ the attention.

* * *

To be continued.


End file.
